Gerardo Pita: The Spanish Royal Tapestry Works at Hollis Taggart Galleries, New York

Gerardo Pita: The Spanish Royal Tapestry Works
Hollis Taggart Galleries, New York
April 29 - May 22, 1999

Hollis Taggart Galleries presents Gerardo Pita: The Spanish Royal Tapestry Works, an exhibition that represents the culmination of three years work by this highly regarded Spanish Realist painter. Over twenty oil paintings will be on view, and illustrated in the accompanying color catalogue. 

Known for his technical virtuosity and fascination with the depiction of wool, Gerardo Pita is the first artist ever to paint the varied activities and the sumptuous interiors of the Royal Tapestry Works in Madrid. The "factory" was founded in the 18th century by the first Bourbon king, Philip V, and has had a long, interesting history that spans over 200 years. Beginning with talented Flemish artisans who were enlisted to develop the craft to its highest level in Spain, the tradition was handed down and perfected through many generations. The Tapestry Works also conserved and preserved the collection of tapestries and carpets that belonged to the Monarchy. Court painters, including Francisco Goya, oversaw the artistic aspect of the production, both for Royal and private commissions. This rich and diverse historical context found in each room at the Tapestry Works, presented Gerardo Pita with the perfect vehicle for the investigation of the long-standing theme that has captured his imagination. Gaining such access was not only a privilege for Gerardo Pita, but of great historic significance as well. The factory is presently undergoing extensive renovations to modernize the interior spaces and its operations, and thus will soon be changing forever.

Gerardo Pita’s exploration of the views of the Tapestry Works allows endless possibilities of intricate compositions comprised of colorful skeins of yarn and wool juxtaposed with their unique surroundings. Commonly viewers stand mesmerized in front of these paintings in disbelief of the extraordinary precision with which he captures his subject matter. Strands of yarn, as those represented in his painting Hanging Wool with Sack, are so seemingly tactile, so meticulously rendered, that one feels as if they could be held.

Aside from the obvious virtuosity of the painter, Gerardo Pita’s poetic compositions are also visually inviting. As in Textile Bobbins, the painter has the ability to convert even the commonplace into an extraordinarily beautiful artistic statement. Rich colors, unusual angles of perspective, and fascinating subjects entice the viewer to examine each work closely. In many of these works, the viewer feels an attraction to step into the interiors. The Atelier, which shows the unoccupied artisans’ workroom, invites one to sit in the wooden chairs and touch the colorful bundles of wool.

Born in Madrid in 1950, Gerardo Pita (a third-generation realist artist) was recognized by his family to possess a nascent talent for art by the early age of five. He was enrolled in architectural school but ultimately, it was not his path. Drawing and painting were his passion. By the artist’s early twenties, he was already exploring the formal concerns of his chosen profession. His meeting in 1979 with the famous Chilean born realist Claudio Bravo resulted in an invitation to paint for a month in Bravo’s studio in Morocco. Since then, Gerardo Pita has exhibited worldwide, has been the recipient of many awards for excellence in painting and is generally recognized to be at the top of his generation of Spanish Realist painters. Hollis Taggart Galleries is Gerardo Pita’s exclusive representative in the United States. This is Gerardo Pita’s third solo- exhibition at Hollis Taggart Galleries.

HOLLIS TAGGART GALLERIES
48 East 73rd Street, New York, NY 10021
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