Circulos, Just Above Midtown Gallery (1976)

Circles / Circulos (1976)

Just Above Midtown Gallery

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Cheops / Keops (1973) Steel, plumb bob, string / acero, plomada, cuerda

A trip to Egypt and a diagram of the Great Pyramid of Giza inspired the artist to create this abstract, minimalist interpretation of the famed structure. Keops is thought to be the original coptic name of the pyramid, which in Latin became Cheops. As one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World (and the last to remain nearly intact), the architectural design is said to demonstrate an advanced knowledge of several geometric and astronomical principles. One such example includes a scale model of the Earth’s northern hemisphere integrated into the Great Pyramid’s design, much like the dome of Cheops . By removing the exterior, Jorge Luis creates a negative image of the structure, leaving behind only the plumb bob, a leveling instrument that dates back to Ancient Egypt, as evidence of the verticality of the pyramid. The random markings on the surface of the steel dome allude to the astronomical alignments that may have dictated the original design of the pyramid, as well as the spiritual connection to the afterlife which the structure traditionally embodies.

Un viaje a Egipto y un esquema del diseno de la Gran Piramide de Guiza inspiraron al artista a construir esta interpretacion abstracta y minimalista de la famosa estructura. Se cree que Keops es el nombre coptico original de la piramide, que en latin se convertiria en Cheops. Como una de las siete maravillas del mundo antiguo (y la ultima que permanece casi intacta), se dice que el diseno arquitectonico demuestra un conocimiento avanzado de varios conceptos que provienen de la astronomia y la geometria. Un ejemplo es el modelo de escala del hemisferio norte del planeta integrado en el diseno de la Gran Piramide, parecido a la cupula de “Cheops”. Al eliminar el exterior, Jorge Luis logra crear un negativo de la estructura, dejando solo la plomada, un instrumento de nivelacion que se remonta al Antiguo Egipto, como referencia a la verticalidad de la piramide. Las marcas aleatorias sobre la superficie de la cupula de acero aluden a los alineamientos astronomicos que quizas formaron parte del diseno original de la piramide, ademas de la conexion espiritual a la vida de ultratumba que la estructura representa tradicionalmente.

Installation View

Installation View

Circle With Four Corners / Circulo con cuatro esquinas (1976) Found object / objeto encontrado

This found object was recovered from the trash of a building located near the Just Above Midtown Gallery. Inspired by the infamous readymades of French artist Marcel Duchamp, Jorge Luis then installed the metal hoop in the gallery, placing it against the walls at an angle. Using light and shadow, the optical illusion of the “four corners” referenced in the title of the work is produced. Thus, the found object was integrated seamlessly into the circular theme of the exhibition. The artist later donated the readymade to the Studio Museum in Harlem in 1981.

Este objeto encontrado fue rescatado de la basura de un edificio que quedaba cerca a la galeria Just Above Midtown. Inspirado por los ‘readymade’ del artista frances Marcel Duchamp, Jorge Luis instalo el aro de metal en la galeria inclinandolo contra las paredes. Al incorporar la luz y la sombra se produce la ilusion optica de “cuatro esquinas” a la que se refiere el titulo de la obra. Asimismo, el objeto encontrado es integrado facilmente al tema circular de la exposicion. El artista lo dono al Studio Museum in Harlem en 1981.

Circles / Circulos (1976) Steel / hierro
Drawings and Sculptures / Graphite on paper, steel Dibujos y esculturas / grafito sobre papel, acero

Circulos was a Minimalist exhibition of sculptures and drawings held at the now-defunct Just Above Midtown Gallery (JAM) in Manhattan, which was located on 57th Street, between Fifth and Sixth Avenue. It was also the first professional art show of Jorge Luis’s career, taking place just months before his graduation from the School of Visual Arts. JAM, founded by Emmy-nominated documentarian Linda Goode Bryant, was “the first gallery space dedicated to work by artists of color to be established in a major gallery district.” In a series of graphite drawings, which are two to four feet in diameter, the artist experimented with line density and shading; while alluding to concepts related to astronomy, biology, and architecture. A set of two cylindrical sculptures were also installed in the gallery space and explore similar forms of abstraction.

Circulos fue una exposicion minimalista de esculturas y dibujos que tuvo lugar en la ya desaparecida galeria Just Above Midtown (JAM) en Manhattan, ubicada en la Calle 57 entre las Avenidas Quinta y Sexta. Fue la primera muestra del arte de Jorge Luis como profesional, poco antes de su graduacion de School of Visual Arts. JAM, fundada por la cineasta nominada al Emmy Linda Goode Bryant, fue “la primera galeria dedicada a la obra de personas de color establecida en una zona artistica de mayor importancia”. En una serie de dibujos de grafito, los cuales tienen entre dos y cuatro pies de diametro, el artista experimenta con la densidad y el sombreado de las lineas y tambien alude a conceptos relacionados con la astronomia, la biologia y la arquitectura. Un par de esculturas cilindricas tambien fue instalado en la galeria y trata de semejantes formas de abstraccion.