Juan Muñoz
Elvira Gonzalez Gallery, Madrid
20 January - 30 March 2016
One Laughing at the Other, 2000
Elvira Gonzalez Gallery presents an exhibition of work by JUAN MUÑOZ, a key figure in the revitalization of the human figure as a motif in contemporary sculpture. The exhibition marks the first show of Juan Muñoz’s work at the gallery.
Juan Muñoz includes a selection of sculptures, paintings and prints, dating from the early 90’s to 2000.. Taken together, the work in the exhibition offers a focused and intimate glimpse of Juan Muñoz’s unique vision.
Juan Muñoz’s work bridges the gap between classical and avant-garde sculpture. In the early 90’s, he began to introduce narrative into his work, staging scenes, creating spaces and presenting groups of sculptures that theatrically interact with each other. In the process, Juan Muñoz established himself as one of Europe’s most innovative artists.
The sculptures in the exhibition, in resin and polyester, belong to Juan Muñoz’s mature period, and include work that has never been exhibited in Spain previously, such as Two figures, one laughing at one hanging (2000) and Two figures looking to a mirror dated 2001. Muñóz’s sculpture presents itself to the spectator as a challenge to his or her very existence. It brings together classical tradition with contemporary concepts into imagery that, whether in isolated figures or in groups, invokes solitude, alienation and the lack of communication as inescapable components of the human condition.
JUAN MUÑOZ (Madrid, 1953 - Ibiza, 2001) briefly studied architecture at the Polytechnical Institute of Madrid, later studying painting and print-making in the United Kingdom. In 1982 he traveled to the United States where he studied at Pratt University in New York, and where he came into contact with Richard Serra. Muñoz’s early influences included Naum Gabo, Pevsner, early Henry Moore, Robert Smithson, Giorgio de Chirico and Richard Serra. With numerous exhibitions in Europe and the US and in cities such as Chicago, New York, London, Madrid, Zurich, Washington and Bilbao, by the mid-80’s Muñoz had established himself as one of Europe’s leading new artists.
Juan Muñoz received Spain’s National Fine Arts Award in 2000, and in 2001 he transformed the colossal Turbine Hall at the Tate Modern in London (the first Spanish artist invited to do so) with his architectural installation Double Bind. The installation, which was to be Muñoz’s last, is considered one of his most important works, synthesizing all his central concerns: solitude, the articulation of space, reflections on the nature of identity, and difficulties of communication.
In addition to his sculptural work, Juan Muñoz also expressed himself in other media, such as drawing, music, radio and literature, collaborating with figures such as John Berger in a radio piece and with musicians such as Gavin Bryars, Bill Hawkes and Alberto Iglesias. Muñoz’s artistic fertile and wide-ranging artistic output was interrupted by his sudden and untimely death on August 28th, 2001.
GALERÍA ELVIRA GONZÁLEZ
General Castanos 3 - 28004 Madrid
