The book LUIS ROLDÁN consists of three sections that combine to present a retrospective of the artist’s work. “Segmento I” includes the prologue by the Colombian art critic Carolina Ponce de León (b. 1957), and the essay by María Iovino (b. 1962) that is illustrated with the works she mentions and discusses. “Segmento II” is a catalogue of works by Luis Roldán (b. 1955) and “Segmento III” is a foldout showing his works of art.
The book was published in November 2007 on the occasion of the solo show that was presented at Lugar a dudas [Room for Doubt] in Cali, an exhibition space for contemporary visual arts events directed by the Colombian artist Oscar Muñoz (b. 1951).
“Antes de que el mundo fuera” [Before the World Existed], on the other hand, is a review of images by Luis Roldán and the reactions prompted by his paintings and drawings. The review examines details of the construction of the images and alludes to the philosophical, artistic, and literary references mentioned by Iovino concerning the artist’s work. In lengthy footnotes, Iovino also includes snippets of her conversations with Roldán (in New York between 2003 and 2006) in which he shares reminiscences and discusses his influences and his processes. It is therefore no surprise that Iovino begins her essay by referring to Sueños [Dreams] (2003–6) since that is what Roldán was working on during these conversations.
Luis Roldán lives in New York City but his work is deeply rooted in his native land. His landscapes (or rather, horizons) reveal the combined influences of Cali and New York—two ways of seeing urban space. It should be noted that Roldán was closely involved with the Grupo de Cali [Cali Group] and, although he was not considered a member of the group, his work “was steeped in a desire to explore modern art and the abstract and alternative approaches that were being produced in Cali in the 1970s,” according to Iovino’s essay.
