The View
The Arx, London, England
17th March - 15th May 2023
The View, a solo exhibition of artworks by Chilean / Italian artist María José Benvenuto, explores changing landscapes inspired by the artist’s nomadic past. Growing up in the Santiago mountains instilled a deep appreciation of nature, which has continued into Benvenuto’s adult life. Today she lives in Sydney’s Northern Beaches, where her unwavering connection with the natural environment inspires her abstracted works. Benvenuto focuses on line and detail to build a narrative of daily life, the ocean waves, rolling hills, flora and fauna, alongside the built environment. Her fluid dance-like application of gestural brushstrokes and stains across the medium mimic an evolving world outside.
The View comprises 17 works created over the past few years, including Australian Foliage, Folds, A View from the Window and the Andes series. In Australian Foliage Benvenuto plays with the art of spontaneous creation, employing gold, black, white and red acrylic paint on dark linen backgrounds to encourage the organic forms to emerge from the canvas. In Australian Foliage 6 Benvenuto portrays the juxtaposition of nature against the manmade.
Black and White Folds peaks and waves across the canvas. The brushstrokes harmoniously echo the ebbs and flows of the artist's body in motion. Cliff echoes this sentiment, remaining within the black and white colour palette, while exposing a raw linen background. Undulating lines glide over the surface, countering the sharpness seen in Black and White Folds. Softer versions, Copper Mountain and Green View, utilise metallic copper and green, defined against soft linen canvases.
The View from the Balcony series’ reduced primary palette explores composition, contrasting patterns, shapes, and forms which are brought to life against a backdrop of negative space, echoing works by Kandinsky and Miró. The Andes series is inspired by the mountains by where Benvento grew up, the pieces are vast to mirror the natural landscape. They are impactful as singles, however when placed as a triptych they immediately transport you to the continuous mountain ranges.
The ARX redefines the gallery experience, with its whole-home luxury concept which brings together the worlds of art, design, craftsmanship and cutting-edge technology, within a visionary 15,000sq ft space located in the heart of London's Knightsbridge.