ART CITIES: Paris-Abel Herrero

Abel Herrero, Senza titolo, oil on canvas, 106,30x161,42 in, © Abel Herrero, Courtesy the artist and Tornabuoni ArtAbel Herrero is a pluri-disciplinary artist, known for his monochromatic canvases in electrifying hues, that interact with large-scale, multimedia installations. Profoundly engaged with the socio-political issues of his time, his work is rooted in Herrero’s own experience and personal history, through which he approaches the wide-ranging topic of humanity’s impact on the natural world.

By Dimitris Lempesis
Photo: Tornabuoni Art Archive

“Dangerous Games” is the first exhibition in France by Abel Herrero, who has been working in Italy for the past 30 years. It forms part of the gallery’s contemporary program, which is committed to showcasing emerging talent from the Italian art scene alongside the great names of the post-war period. In his studio in the Tuscan countryside, Herrero produces large-scale canvases exploring the relationship between humans and the natural world. Starting with pure color, he gradually desaturates the layers of oil paint, to arrive at the bare canvas. In this way, he unveils seemingly innocuous subjects—a portrait, a landscape or an animal—behind which lies a powerful message testifying to the artist’s stro social and political commitment. The latter is revealed over time, as the viewers’ gaze moves in and out of the monumental canvases. The sea as a subject is of particular significance to the artist, both in a personal and universal sense. Ever-present on his native island, it is at once an insurmountable obstacle, and the embodiment of freedom and hope. A place of holiday and carefree-living, it also bears the brunt of the consequences of the excesses of modern life. This is the paradox that the artist will explore with his “Black Sea Games” installation on the gallery’s ground floor Iong canvases in shades of gray will line the walls, while eight black Tarquinia marble spheres will rest on the floor, like unmovable balls that seem to have calcified on an abandoned beach. Downstairs, the electrifying hue with which Herrero will imbue the space illuminates an equally layered scene. Each canvas is specially conceived for the gallery and will be mounted in situ, forming a single installation, entitled “Green Temptation”. The message emerging through the various perspectives, from the most minute detail to the all-encompassing atmosphere, reminds us of the weight of human decisions and the fragility of the world around us. Born in Havana, Cuba, in 1971, Abel Herrero traveled to Milan, Italy, in 1994 for his first international exhibition. Aged only 23, he chose to settle permanently in Italy and today lives between Parma and the Tuscan countryside. Over the years, he has forged foundational friendships with a wide circle of Italian artists and intellectuals, including masters of the post-war generation such as Jannis Kounellis and Claudio Parmiggiani. Herrero’s latest exhibition, organized by the Museo del Novecento in Florence in 2023 at Palazzo Medici Riccardi, featured his large-scale, saturated canvases alongside the pigment tilled boats of Claudio Parmiggianim At the heart of Herrero’s practice lies the relationship between history, representation and science. For the artist, these are the principles underpinning all communication Neither completely figurative nor resolutely abstract, his work invites viewers to consider the image as a whole, before penetrating its fabric and losing oneself in the whirlwind of brushstrokes and contrasting textures. The guiding principle of his method is subtraction. Working from pure, saturated color, he gradually strips away the oil with a variety of tools, from cloths to corrugated cardboard and the back of his paintbrush, until he arrives at the canvas. Guided by an economy of means, Herrero’s vigorous process results in dynamic compositions that compel viewers and invite them to refiect on some of the more pressing issues of our time.

Photo: Abel Herrero, Senza titolo, oil on canvas, 106,30×161,42 in, © Abel Herrero, Courtesy the artist and Tornabuoni Art

Info: Tornabuoni Art, 16 Avenue Matignon, Paris, France, Duration: 22/6-8/9/2024, Days & Hours: Tue-Sat 10:30-18:30, www.tornabuoniart.com/

Abel Herrero, Senza titolo, oil on canvas, 122,04x161,42 in, © Abel Herrero, Courtesy the artist and Tornabuoni Art
Abel Herrero, Senza titolo, oil on canvas, 122,04×161,42 in, © Abel Herrero, Courtesy the artist and Tornabuoni Art

 

 

Abel Herrero, Senza titolo, oil on canvas, 78,74x118,11 in, © Abel Herrero, Courtesy the artist and Tornabuoni Art
Abel Herrero, Senza titolo, oil on canvas, 78,74×118,11 in, © Abel Herrero, Courtesy the artist and Tornabuoni Art

 

 

Abel Herrero, Senza titolo, oil on canvas, 78,74x118,11 in, © Abel Herrero, Courtesy the artist and Tornabuoni Art
Abel Herrero, Senza titolo, oil on canvas, 78,74×118,11 in, © Abel Herrero, Courtesy the artist and Tornabuoni Art

 

 

Abel Herrero, Senza titolo, oil on canvas, 31,49x39,37 in, © Abel Herrero, Courtesy the artist and Tornabuoni Art
Abel Herrero, Senza titolo, oil on canvas, 31,49×39,37 in, © Abel Herrero, Courtesy the artist and Tornabuoni Art

 

 

Abel Herrero, Senza titolo, oil on canvas, 23,62x31,49 inin, © Abel Herrero, Courtesy the artist and Tornabuoni Art
Abel Herrero, Senza titolo, oil on canvas, 23,62×31,49 inin, © Abel Herrero, Courtesy the artist and Tornabuoni Art