|
Peruvian artist Sandra Gamarra, 34, is the hottest ticket in appropriation art. Founded by Mr. Marcel Duchamp (1887-1968), also famously explored by artists Elaine Sturtevant, Mike Bidlo, Sherrie Levine and Richard Pettibone. Sandra uses painting approximately 90% of the time to reflect on cultural utopia and the necessity of questioning contemporary art. Sculpture and video, the other ten percent, resultant of the painting, are done in small papers or large-scaled canvases. This young artist visits biennales and art shows around the globe and buys their catalogues, as well as art books, as a primary form of appropriating herself of the works of others. |
 |
Living with Tranquil Imagination – Eduarda de Souza
“I play with truth, which is a hard game.”
-Sandra Gamarra.
“My work is being divided between two vertices: that of the own imaginary and that of the utilization of the imaginary of other artists. I had to notice that my own imaginary was also within that of others. When I use it, its all reproduction of my own imaginary, therefore, I am my own artist.”
-Sandra Gamarra.
Peruvian artist Sandra Gamarra, 34, is the hottest ticket in appropriation art. Founded by Mr. Marcel Duchamp (1887-1968), also famously explored by artists Elaine Sturtevant, Mike Bidlo, Sherrie Levine and Richard Pettibone. Sandra uses painting approximately 90% of the time to reflect on cultural utopia and the necessity of questioning contemporary art. Sculpture and video, the other ten percent, resultant of the painting, are done in small papers or large-scaled canvases.
This young artist visits biennales and art shows around the globe and buys their catalogues, as well as art books, as a primary form of appropriating herself of the works of others.
LiMac, the imaginary contemporary art museum that she created for her home town, Lima, is her most prominent project to date. Undeterred by the fact that Lima never had such a museum, she painted works she would like to see in this venue, smartly including some of her own, on small-scaled papers. These works are now in the MUSAC collection—Museo de Arte Contemporanéo de Castilla y León.
Particularly appealing is the manner in which she reproduces the writing of these books, now part of the original work, altogether reminding the viewer, at times, of the poetic brushstrokes of artist Elizabeth Peyton. Words become unreadable, but recognizable. For Sandra, getting things wrong is as beautiful as getting things right.
Eduarda de Souza: What are you thoughts on the imagination?
Sandra Gamarra: It can travel far. The trick is going not only with the heart but also with the conscious. I prefer it not to travel alone.
EdS: Where are you at this very moment? Are you listening to music and do you usually listen to music when you are painting?
SG: I’m in my studio, sitting in front of the computer, listening to music. A selection called “The worst,” only sad music by women. I usually listen to music or taped books, the few I find in Castellano. When I paint I listen mostly to tunes of the 80s.
EdS: Do you reference the original work when painting or is it a memory exercise?
SG: I reference reproductions of the work but memory comes along with it.
EdS: What has been the most exciting moment of your artistic career?
SG: Seeing the Richter retrospective in MOMA and maintaining my will and desire to paint.
EdS: Can you tell us a little about the experience of creating an imaginary museum?
SG: It has been a good but tough experience, you find loads of people who are willing to collaborate, because if you try to do it alone it is impossible; paradoxically, you find no help in those which you expected in the first place. LiMac is an imaginary museum, more than imaginary, so, when possible, I play with truth, which is a hard game.
EdS: Why do you make little castles out of your paintings? Does it have something related to protection?
SG: My castillos or constructions deal with fragility, the extremes of equilibrium, like a castle of cards.
EdS: Describe your day-to-day life.
SG: I don’t sleep very much, I go to bed late and I’m always out of bed before eight in the morning. I put some music on and before I notice, the record might have played a million times. Painting requires a lot of time, at least the ones I do. It is all very exhaustive at times, I don’t have much time to read or go to the cinema. My day is very tranquil and monotonous; there is not much difference between Wednesday and Sunday for me.
