Augustin Pozo at Bucheon Gallery from Artweek March 2007 Volume 38,issue 2

Following an extended absence from the exhibition scene, San Francisco based Chilean artist Augustin Pozo Galvez(“Lucho”) presents ten new paintings in “No Time for Pretty”. In a mostly abstract form and a subtle palette, Lucho fuses elements of surrealism with abstraction to communicate the immense influence the current social climate has had on him. In the exhibition statement he explicitly proclaims that this series is the product of our times-the despair of war and conservatism have seemingly colored his world in grays and browns to shine through in the form of slight accents of vibrant paint. Throughout the series, he interconnects both the external l and internal components of each work, perhaps to exemplify the manner in which every action is related to those of the past and present.

Although characterized predominantly by symmetry and balance, the acrylic paintings on panel break through the traditional rectangular format and assume instead a sculptural nature. Each work is composed of several rectangles of different sizes, at times including panels that are mounted on atop another, such as Sweet Honeydew and Silent Ripple. The various components are framed within a thin, truncated wooden strip that is painted and nailed to the outer border of the work. The entire group appears homogenous, dominated by a muted palette with few understated of vivid hues-sublte remnants of his previous style. As is apparent in (pink flambé) The Irresistible Seduction of Empty Promises, bright strips of color are counter balanced by the widespread dark brushstrokes that particularly embody Lucho’s angst and dour outlook/ Similarly, vast areas of paint are disrupted by cartoonish(a la Philip Guston) depictions of metallic objects.

At a glance the paintings seem like landscapes in which random objects float abound aimlessly. Yet these environments are fractured and divided into several portions, in turn projecting a deep sense of unrest. This formal choice, most evident “Of A Sub-Jec-Tive-3-Nature, suggests the loss of control of ones destiny. The discreet manner in which he incorporated lively colors in the majority of the works-in some merely on the outer portions of the frame-may indicate that there is no place for such an alluring reference in our current reality. Thus, the overall impression is dismal and haphazard, while uplifting and ordered is literally pushed to the sidelines.

Like Lucho’s earlier series,into which he often integrated found objects and atypical materials, No Time for Pretty too conjures an association with Robert Rauschenberg’s iconic Combines. Here the objects have been flattened and merely portrayed in paint, while the three dimensional aspect has become entirely abstracted by the layering of panels. Rather than literally drawing from the outside world, Lucho looks inward-allowing color and abstracted form to manifest the inner workings of his mind. Within the loaded tradition of abstraction, he differs in his apparent lack of spontaneity that is normally intrinsic to this style, as seen in the abstract expressionists or the lyrical abstract movement. Instead, Lucho’s practice is restrained and calculated, every layer of paint laden with intentionality and meaning.

The surrealistic objects-a screen, rods and other metallic articles-appear as glimpses into reality or quotes from modern life, yet do not allow us to break through the surface of the works and access the artists intent. At times they cause further confusion-extricating the work from its purely aesthetic realm of abstraction, while introducing it into a complex world of conceptual painting. Thus, the only indicator remains the paintings’ color field, which is universally and instinctively understood.
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With conceptual triggers and visceral painterly gestures, Lucho has created an image of our time. Despite its elusive and somewhat impenetrable nature, this body of work succeeds in instinctually inciting the collective mindset, in turn leaving us with a disquieting sense of understanding.

Yaelle Amir