Omar Rayo: geometría vibrante

From December 2, 2015 through February 17, 2016, the Museo Nacional de Colombia presents the exhibition Omar Rayo: geometría vibrante. Omar Rayo: geometría vibrante is part of the museum's National Tributes program, a line of exhibitions centered on master figures in Colombian arts, intended to showcase the work of artists who have made valuable contributions to the history of the country's art. In that sense, Miguel González, the show's curator, says this about Rayo's legacy: "It can't be disputed that Omar Rayo created a unique visual grammar, and his oeuvre has become part of the country's collective memory. His legacy is vast; renowned as a painter, he was also a sculptor, designer, editor, photographer, cultural promoter, thinker, and writer. His production in painting and the graphic arts is perhaps the best known aspect of Rayo's career, and this show, featuring sixty works from different periods, outlines a chronology for his legacy of reflections and contributions." The show presents a selection of sixty paintings and engravings, divided around 5 thematic nodes. The first node features the Vía Sur series, inspired in cities like Lima, Montevideo, and Buenos Aires, which Rayo visited as he traveled across South America in the 1950s. In these works, characterized by their geometric composition, the use of a limited palette, and the simplicity of their shapes, we encounter Rayo's exploration of abstract art and his interest in pre-Columbian forms. The second node features Rayo's Intaglios, paper engravings with relieve prints of everyday objects and geometric designs. These prints, developed mainly in the 1960s in Mexico City and New York, are essential to any understanding of Pop graphics and Op Art during this period. The next section presents works from the Sin sombra series, abstract works resolved in flat colors and asymmetrical compositions. Rayo created these acrylic-on-canvas paintings during his years in New York. The fourth node displays Rayo's Lienzos irregulares. These works, highly representative of his oeuvre as a whole, are characterized by their irregular, three-dimensional shapes achieved by means of an assemblage of canvases and the inclusion of objects in the composition. Finally, the fifth node presents a selection of Rayo's Pinturas con sombreados, works recognizable for the optical illusions generated by the representation of bands and ribbons that appear to fold and intertwine. At the same time, shadows create an impression of depth. This exhibition is made possible by the sponsorship of Itaú BBA, a partnership with Ecopetrol, and the support of Museo Rayo and the Friends of Museo Nacional Association.