NEW YORK, NY.- Thierry Goldberg is presenting De la mano al zodíaco an online exhibition of works by Francisco G. Pinzón Samper. The exhibition is on view from May 21 to June 19, 2021.
When Francisco G. Pinzón Samper describes his works, the first thing he mentions is “range.” A range from high to low, a range from design to artistry, from elegance to camp. Pinzón Samper plays with these dualities in his work, drawing technicolored portraits and trippy fantasies that mix design tropes of hippie psychedelia, with Art Deco design, and Gen Z fashion. What develops are technicolor works that are bursts of expression and concentrated love.
Pinzón Samper’s primary series in the exhibition, a set of portraits, experiments with design, color, and ritual. Pinzón Samper borrows design tropes from Art Deco, Emilio Pucci, and 1960s long flower skirts to create a swirling world around his figures. He depicts a youth culture defined by counter culture and with fashion as a means of expression. The floral patterns and bright blocks of color allow the artist’s works to posses a spiritual means of representation. He creates feelings in his works that are governed by his relationships with his muses, or idols.
Many of Pinzón Samper ‘s works use cardboard as the surface of his drawings. The cardboard is recycled from previous uses; shipping packages and cereal boxes are most common for the artist. Besides scavenging for discarded boxes, the artist seeks out cereal boxes in grocery stores that are the right size and texture for their next use. What results are drawings on the backsides of cereal and shipping boxes.The backs of these works are reminders of the box’s intended functions, or more, their original uses, their previous lives. Here is where “range” is again summoned: the works encapsulate a “range” from high to low. The front of the cereal boxes, or the Amazon shipping labels on the backs of the works, contribute to a kind of pop and saturated design that is present in Pinzón Samper’s drawings. Though Pinzón Samper does not consider the design on the boxes when creating his drawings, the hidden paraphernalia on the backs of the works undoubtedly add to the “range” Pinzón Samper is working with.
Francisco G. Pinzón Samper (b. 1997, Bogota, Colombia) lives and works in Paris, France. He is currently studying at Beaux Arts de Paris, France.
