Ever since its formation in the first half of the 20th century, such an ethereal artistic movement as abstract art has found a large number of devoted followers. What is so exceptional about this type of visual language?
When working in the abstract style, the artist uses the visual language of shapes, contours, lines, and colors to interpret the subject. Abstract art implies avoiding depictions of people, things, and forms as they are in real life. Seeing how abstractionism aims at evoking certain emotions in the viewer and causing particular associations, abstract paintings represent the magical outcome of the long meditative work of their creators. One of the brightest representatives of contemporary abstractionism is the Chilean artist Alejandro Mendez.
Alejandro Mendez was born in the second-largest city of Chile, Concepción, in 1968. Having shown great interest in art at a young age, he decided to pursue a future in artistic craft by getting into the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile. During the educational process, Mendez established himself as one of the most outstanding students and eventually earned his Bachelor’s Degree.
Upon graduation, the artist was engaged in the creation of audio and visual materials – namely, 3D animation and special effects – and worked in the digital TV sector. However, the long-standing need to pour his heart and soul into paintings made Mendez get back to contemporary abstract art. Currently, he is one of the most significant figures of the Chilean artistic arena, with his bizarre landscapes and mesmerizing patterns. His masterpieces represent much more than just abstract art pieces – there is something hypnotic and spiritual about them. Alejandro Mendez himself admits that he comes up with different concepts for his artworks with the help of his subconscious mind. He also sees the painting process as somewhat therapeutic, as he fills up the canvas with not only paint but his feelings and experiences as well.
Mendez’s creative life has been quite productive. From 2014 to 2018, the artist participated in plenty of online and collective exhibitions. They were held in his native Chile, Germany, Argentina (at the Borges Cultural Center in Buenos Aires), and France (at the Fifth Annual Exposure Award in Paris). As for the upcoming events that will feature abstract art by Alejandro Mendez, there are two significant exhibitions to await. In November 2019, the painter will appear as a Selected Artist at the Art Week Chile 2019 in Santiago. His second individual exhibition will take place in July 2020 at Sala de Arte Collahuasi in Iquique.
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