artnexus #40

There are various artistic movements of the 20th Century that operate from the perspective of design, with the participation of useful items penetrating their structure and symbolism. Let it suffice to add the experiences of Op art and Pop Art to the initial constructivisms. From these reflections, there have been diverse artists whose interest lies in the design of spaces that operate simultaneously, such as art and functional spaces. Jorge Pardo, Cuban by birth and currently living in Los Angeles, is today one of the most outstanding names within this field. His inquiry into structures leads him to affirm the following: "I am very interested in understanding how things are used, not from the perspective of their functionality, but rather from the point of view of the consumer. I am very interested in what happens when people look at things; I am interested in the mental operations. I visualize the structure of the audience in terms of associative structures."1 By using resources that come from interior design, graphic design, handicrafts, and architecture, Pardo creates integral spaces in which the dividing line between art and design is problematized. 

Christina Végh, "The Tonality of Contradictory Settings," Parkett 56 (1999).

 IVONNE PINI