Exhibition: Omar Rayo and vibrant geometry

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Omar Rayo
Omar Rayo "Vibrant Geometry"

Born in 1928 in Roldanillo, a small town nestled in the department of Valle del Cauca, Omar Rayo emerged to shape the Colombian arts landscape during much of the last century.

This month, the National Museum of Colombia pays tribute to the influential artist, inaugurating the retrospective “Omar Rayo: Vibrant Geometry.” The show runs until Feb. 17.

A selection of 60 paintings and prints by Rayo are on display, and visitors will appreciate how this artist associated with lines and geometric shapes was influenced by the rapid growth of cities across Latin America and a burgeoning pan-American identity.

Omar Rayo
Omar Rayo’s works use lines and simple forms to create complex patterns. (Courtesy Museo Nacional)

The exhibition begins with Via Sur, and a visual tour de force to the cities of the southern cone, including Montevideo and Buenos Aires.

Rayo’s work is characterized by geometric compositions, a limited use of color, and simple shapes. His early paintings signal an incursion into the realm of the abstract and interest in pre-Columbian forms.

In 1959, Rayo moved to Mexico and began work on his “Intaglios” series, inkless intaglio prints on paper using everyday objects and geometric designs. These intaglios provide a critical look at how Pop Art influenced Rayo, who the following year moved to New York, the epicenter of the Pop Art movement.

The 1960s were a prolific decade for Rayo, and the National Museum honors this time in his life by presenting his “Sin Sombra” (Without Shading) series of abstract paintings, which feature flat colors and asymmetrical compositions that the artist produced in New York.

The fourth section contains the artist’s “Irregular Canvases,” works representative of Rayo’s artistic production. They are characterized by irregular and three-dimensional shapes achieved by assembling different canvases and including objects in the final composition.

The grouping “Pinturas con Sombreadas” (Paintings with Shading) is a body of work known for optical illusions created by folding and intertwining painted strips and ribbons. The shading gives the impression of depth.

“Omar Rayo: Vibrant Geometry” is curated chronologically and looks at the artist’s versatility with different mediums. According to curator Miguel Gomez, Rayo’s “legacy is vast, almost measureless. He was also a sculptor, designer, editor, photographer, cultural agent, thinker and writer — but best known for his visual productions.”

Omar Rayo died June 7, 2010 of heart failure in his hometown of Roldanillo. Five years after death, the Ministry of Culture and National Museum honor the life and legacy of this important artist.

“Vibrant Geometry” is free and a must-see for the museum-going public.


Museo Nacional

Carrera 7 No. 28-66

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