Jan 15

Jan 15 José María Yturralde: Transfinito

Artist José María Yturralde presents his first solo exhibition Transfinito at Ruttkowski;68 in Düsseldorf. A scholar of multidimensional geometry, space and the idea of emptiness, all his work has an internal structure, studied and measured. Behind the color are hidden patterns of squares that rotate and give harmony to the fabric.

The Spanish artist (b.1942) is known for his study of color and reflection on the void and time in space. What he depicts is immanently rooted in geometry and underlying mathematical concepts that serve as tools for understanding form, and composition. In the 60’s he carried out his earliest experiments with computers, which lead to a number of works based on optical perceptions and false perspectives. In 1975, while at MIT, he began to research the relationship between technology and art, and his experimentation with multidimensional geometry; it had also a strong impact on his floating sculptures, or “flying structures” as they were known, which went on display at the 1978 Venice Biennale. His work continued to evolve and in the 80’s/90’s his work began to take shape with a metaphysical aura through a mature and refined treatment of light and colour.

His paintings and installations have been seen in exhibitions like the São Paulo (1967) and Mercosul (Porto Alegre, Brazil, 1999) biennials. They are also in the holdings of major institutions, including, among others, the Museo de Arte Abstracto Español, Cuenca; Museo Patio Herreriano, Valladolid; and Fundació Pilar i Joan Miró, Palma de Mallorca.

For Transfinito, Yturralde addresses nothing less than space, time, infinity and beyond – between emptiness and wholeness, void and totality – while not aiming to map or illustrate them, but rather to reflect upon and explore through emotional resonances created by confronting their inherent unsolved mysteries. Art as a sensual knowledge can illuminate natural forces such as gravity, energy, quantum entanglement or the ongoing evolution of the human consciousness and hereby transcend infinity. - Jule Arden