In this curatorial essay Lourdes Blanco discusses Eugenio Espinoza’s career from 1972 until 1984. Describing “the grid” as the fundamental concept and element in his work, Blanco takes a historical and visual tour beginning with his first one-man show in 1972. She mentions Espinoza’s early years of art training, in his native San Juan de los Morros and in Maracay and Caracas. Blanco discusses how he has been influenced by universal art and where his work fits in Venezuelan art history. She also explains the role of the “pleat” or “crease” (the artist’s other constant element) in his works, and includes a review of the visual and stylistic qualities of his most important works.    

The exhibition Cincoincidentes was presented at the Museo de Barquisimeto (estado Lara) in 1984. The curator Lourdes Blanco (b. 1941) wrote an essay for each of the five participating artists from Venezuela: Miguel von Dangel [doc. no. 1097326], Eugenio Espinoza (b. 1950), Felipe Márquez [doc. no. 1097374], Alfred Wenemoser [doc. no. 1097390], and Roberto Obregón [doc. no. 1097358]. The exhibition was organized by the designers Álvaro Sotillo and Ibrahim Nebreda.

The author takes a close look at Espinoza’s work, providing a great deal of information that helps to see it from quite a broad perspective; she presents it in its historical context, albeit with references to different artists from universal art history. Blanco explains that being on familiar terms with the work of certain artists, like Paul Cézanne and Jasper Johns, helps one gain a deeper understanding of this Venezuelan’s work. She also discusses Espinoza’s inspirations, opinions on painting, and art work (drawings, prints, and others). She highlights the temporal importance (a place for retrospection) that provides a clearer view of the relationship between different elements in the works, as well as the artist’s considerable theoretical and analytical ability. It is interesting to note how highly Blanco rates this artistic and creative work, assigning it pride of place in the last forty years of Venezuelan visual art history. In Blanco’s opinion, Espinoza’s bold embrace of new creative processes make him a pioneer in various fields, producing “works of art made of non-conventional materials,” which does not exempt him from being a “painter-painter.”

Another factor that contributes to the importance of this study is Blanco’s careful positioning of each landmark event in Espinoza’s artistic and intellectual development. This essay contains a wealth of theoretical ideas presented in support of the main subject; that is, reflections on concepts and elements such as the grid, surfaces, perspective, and so on.

This essay was reprinted in the Guía Catálogo/Guía de Estudio Nº 136. Exposición CCS-10. Arte venezolano actual (Caracas: Fundación Galería de Arte Nacional, 1993).