The poetic dimension of Luis Barragán’s rich artistic legacy reinterpreted in new Los Angeles exhibition

Renowned Mexican designer Luis Barragán‘s bequest continues to beryllium a surviving root of inspiration successful Mexico and astir the world. His enactment demonstrates that modernity tin beryllium emotional, spiritual and section without losing rigor oregon clarity. 

“It teaches america that advancement doesn’t mean abandoning individuality oregon memory,” says sculptor David Ávila, 1 of the artists down “The Poetic Dimension: James Casebere and José Dávila,” a caller accumulation astatine the Sean Kelly Gallery successful Los Angeles inspired by Barragán’s oeuvre and that explores the affectional resonance of his architecture. 

Cuadra San Cristóbal successful Atizapán de Zaragoza, a Mexico City suburb, is 1 of Barragán’s modernist masterpieces. (The Pritzker Architecture Prize)

The accumulation runs until November 1.

Casebere is known for constructing meticulously crafted models that helium past photographs. He says Barragán infused a modernist sensibility into his enactment portion incorporating Mexican vernacular. He admires the colors, textures and materials Barragán used. 

“The designer created an acquisition of abstraction and clip successful designs that were nary longer acold and distant. He developed a connection rooted successful place,” Casebere says.

At this peculiar infinitesimal successful satellite events, Casebere says helium finds Barragán’s enactment peculiarly healing, a “peaceful sanctuary of privateness and calm.” 

“This accumulation is not conscionable a presumption of works. It is simply a conversation,” says Dávila, who is known for his sculptures that equilibrium hostility and gravity with a distinctive elegance.

The carnal vs. the imagined: A dialog betwixt 2 artists

Although Dávila’s artworks are sculptures and Casebere‘s are photographs, Barragán’s power looms implicit some artists’ work. 

Luis Barragán’s enactment is being reevaluated successful the airy of different artists’ responses to it. (INBAL)

“It is simply a dialogue, but it is besides astir silence,” says Dávila. “His sculptures are propositions alternatively than statements. Casebere builds models of imagined spaces and photographs them successful a mode that makes them consciousness inhabitable, adjacent though they are constructions. His enactment creates a hostility betwixt what is existent and what is imagined.” 

“In contrast, my sculptures importune connected their physicality. They are objects negotiating gravity, fragility and resistance. The materials beryllium connected 1 different to stay upright,” Dávila reflects.

Casebere’s photographs recreate the iconic spaces of Barragán’s architectural creations: Gilardi House, the Gálvez House and the architect’s location and workplace successful Mexico City. 

“I anticipation to evoke immoderate of the aforesaid feelings Barragán transmits, similar bid and quiet. I bash this by utilizing colour and texture to make spaces that stress the materiality of the sculptures and the opposition betwixt the organic,” Casebere says. “It is simply a physical, gravitational work, and I deliberation the operation works interestingly successful these times.”

“What interests maine is however these 2 approaches resonate with each different erstwhile combined,” Davila says. “[Casebere’s] photographs constituent to a benignant of architecture of memory, portion my enactment explores the beingness of forces successful existent clip and space. Together, they uncover the poetic magnitude wherever substance and imaginativeness converge.” 

Inspired by  Barragán’s work

When Casebere speaks astir Barragán’s work, his dependable sounds vibrant. He identifies with the architect’s goals, values and the ambiance of his architecture. 

Barragán, who died successful 1988, shaped an indelible bequest arsenic an designer successful Mexico. (Barragán Foundation)

“In galore cases, I effort to encapsulate it successful my work,” helium says. 

The creator is amazed by the patience and sustained attraction to spatial relationships and one’s question wrong Barragán’s buildings, arsenic good arsenic the mode helium adapts taste past and values without being eclectic. 

The designer adapted Mexican experiences, color, texture and materials into a modernist vocabulary, Casebere says. He besides emphasizes Barragan’s heavy narration with nature. 

“There’s a opposition betwixt simplicity and the operation of integrated formations successful the earthy environment,” helium says.

On the different hand, Dávila admires Barragán’s quality to enactment with immense affectional weight. 

“His quality to make an ambiance that feels some grounded and transcendent moves maine deeply,” helium says. “He trusted silence, proportionality and atmosphere. In that sense, I spot him not lone arsenic an designer but besides arsenic idiosyncratic who sculpted abstraction itself.” 

“His clarity resonates with my ain search: however to bash the astir with the slightest and however to bring strength done restraint. How to debar velocity and similar a dilatory pace. Architecture arsenic an introspective hunt alternatively than an unfastened spectacle,” helium argues.

Both artists evoke elemental aspects of Barragán’s universe, specified arsenic the information that architecture tin beryllium simultaneously carnal and emotional. This bequest brings serenity, calm intensity, sensuality, representation and question done abstraction and colors into their work. It besides encompasses the links betwixt the wrong and extracurricular of spaces and light. 

“Absence tin beryllium arsenic almighty arsenic presence. Silence tin convey meaning,” Davila says. “In the shadiness of Barragán’s legacy, the works purpose to fto soundlessness speak.”

Ana Paula de la Torre is simply a Mexican writer and collaborator for assorted outlets, including Milenio, Animal Político, Vice, Newsweek en Español, Televisa and Mexico News Daily.