LUIS VALENZUELA
Sustainability with Style
January 9th, 2010 – February 6th, 2010
Opening Reception
Saturday, January 9th, 7 – 10 pm
Reimagining the art of the masters is no small task; neither is saving the planet. Luis Valenzuela takes on both in his latest endeavor. In the guise of fantastical gowns based on the art of the greats such as Dali and Kahlo, Valenzuela addresses ideas of progress, sustainability, appropriation, debt and responsibility. Just as art has been able to transcend the confines of race, gender, age and nationality, to relate to the core of humanity itself, the planet too should be examined as an all-encompassing issue whose wounds affect all its inhabitants. In appropriating the aesthetics of the masters as well as by incorporating recycled materials to create extravagant gowns, Valenzuela punctuates how new life can come from something used. In doing so he calls attention to, and juxtaposes, two types of debt: The debt that art of each generation owes to the art of the past from which it stems, and also the debt that humanity owes to the precious environment that sustains us.
Ultimately, an aura of inspiration prevails. Just as the artists honored in Valenzuela’s work had to push boundaries to forge new ideas, we too must innovate to improve our way of life on this planet. With his fashionable and provoking works, Valenzuela paves the (run)way for a more promising and sustainable future.
Valet parking available
Bernice Steinbaum Gallery
3550 N Miami Ave – Miami, FL 33127
T 305 573 2700 – F 305 573 2722