Mercedes Elena Gonzalez

Mercedes Elena González is an artist from Caracas, Venezuela. She has worked on various multimedia art pieces that incorporate lines, shapes, and colors to showcase modern abstraction.[1]

Early life and career

Mercedes Elena González was born in Caracas, Venezuela, in 1952. In the years 1974 to 1976, she attended a school in her hometown known as Taller Teresa Azara. Following her attendance there, González continued her studies at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, Massachusetts until 1980.[2]

Selected works

September 1955 Series (2013)

In her series, September 1955, González portrays art that was inspired by a Venezuelan magazine called Integral. The name itself is derived from the specific month and year that Integral showcased modern abstraction as a new form of art. González uses her drawing as means to explore the hopefulness that modern abstraction brought to youth during the 1950s, along with the political obstacles that have slowly ruined the countries well-being.[3] She comes from a generation in which modernism was not popular in Latin America.[4] Her series reflects on her personal realization of what Venezuela has came to be, through the use of abstract art.[5]

Vulvosa tríptico (Vulviform triptych) (1979–81)

This series of art explores the biological process of reproduction. It was created on a graphite board with acrylic paint. Her father was a doctor and, for that reason, a lot of her art reflects anatomical features. This specific series was controversial at the time because of how uncommon it was to see vaginal imagery in Venezuela. The use of soft lines and colors gave viewers a calm feeling about the subject.[6] Her art was inspired by Georgia O'Keeffe, an artist who also sparked controversy.[7]

Solo exhibitions
  • 2009: “Pelikan”, Faría Fabregas Galería, Caracas, Venezuela.
  • 2008: “Obra Recente”, Galería Valu Oria, São Paulo, Brazil.
  • 2006: “Bichus Invasion “, Signature Art Gallery, Miami, USA.
  • 2006: “Bichus”, Galería 39, Caracas, Venezuela.
  • 2002: “Neurohilados “, Galería Valu Oria, Caracas, Venezuela.
  • 2001: “Entretejimientos “, Sala Alternativa, Caracas, Venezuela.
  • 1996: “Ascensión”, The Venezuela Center Gallery, New York, USA.
  • 1994: “Diario de la luna”, Sala Alternativa, Caracas, Venezuela.
  • 1992: “Pinturas y dibujos”, Sala Alternativa, Caracas, Venezuela.
  • 1982: “Dibujos”, La Librería, Sala Mendoza, Caracas, Venezuela.
  • 1977: “Dibujos “, La Librería, Sala Mendoza, Caracas, Venezuela.[8]

Group exhibitions
  • 2014: “September 1955”, Henrique Faria Fine Art, New York, USA.
  • 2011: “Ciudad Volátil”, Centro Cultural Chacao, Caracas, Venezuela.
  • 2011: “Geometrías Alteradas”, Galería Faría + Fábregas, Caracas, Venezuela.
  • 2007: “Interconexiones”, Galería La Cuadra, Caracas, Venezuela.
  • 2006: “9 Propuestas Estéticas”, Galería Universitaria UCV, Caracas, Venezuela.
  • 2005: “13 Instrumentos de Dibujo”, Fundación Corp Group, Caracas, Venezuela.
  • 2004: “Figuración-Fabulación”, Museo de Bellas Artes, Caracas, Venezuela.
  • 2004: Centro de Arte Lya Bermúdez, Maracaibo, Venezuela.
  • 2003: “Muestra 2”, Sala Alternativa, Ciudad de México, México.
  • 2003: “Arte Hoje y Pequeños Formatos”, Galería Valu Oria, São Paulo, Brazil.
  • 2002: “Bienal Barro de América”, Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Caracas, Caracas, Venezuela.
  • 2002: “Ars Feminae”, Instituto de Cultura Mexicano, Washington DC., USA.
  • 2002: Salón Michelena, Valencia, Venezuela
  • 2001: “Arte y Hoje y Pequeños Formatos “, Galería Valu Oria, São Paulo, Brazil.
  • 2001: Museo de Arte Contemporáneo Sofía Imber, Caracas, Venezuela.
  • 2001: Sala Marta Traba Memorial de América Latina, São Paulo, Brazil.
  • 2001: Salón Michelena, Valencia, Venezuela.
  • 2001: Salón Aragua, Maracay, Venezuela.
  • 2000: Salón Aragua, Maracay, Venezuela.
  • 1999: Salón Aragua, Maracay, Venezuela.
  • 1998: Museo de Arte Contermporáneo Sofía Imber, Caracas, Venezuela.
  • 1997: Salón Aragua, Maracay, Venezuela.
  • 1995: Museo de Arte Contemporáneo Sofía Imber, Caracas, Venezuela.
  • 1995: “La mujer venezolana en las artes”, Wang Fu Gallery, Beijing, China.
  • 1995: “Festival Internacional de La Pinturee”, Cagnes-sur-Mer, France.
  • 1995: Salón Michelena, Valencia, Venezuela.
  • 1995: Salón Aragua, Maracay, Venezuela.
  • 1994: Salón Michelena, Valencia, Venezuela.
  • 1993: Salón Aragua, Maracay, Venezuela.
  • 1992: Salón Michelena, Valencia, Venezuela.
  • 1991: Salón Michelena, Valencia, Venezuela.
  • 1988: Museo de Arte Contemporáneo Sofía Imber, Caracas, Venezuela.
  • 1983: Salón Michelena, Valencia, Venezuela.
  • 1982: Salón Michelena, Valencia, Venezuela.
  • 1981: “La Generación Intermedia”, Museo Omar Rayo, Roldanillo, Colombia.
  • 1981: “Salón Nacional de Jóvenes Artistas”, Museo de Arte Contemporáneo Sofía Imber, Caracas, Venezuela.
  • 1979: “Once Tipos”, Sala Mendoza, Caracas, Venezuela.
  • 1977: Salón Michelena, Valencia, Venezuela.
  • 1974: Salón Michelena, Valencia, Venezuela.[8]

References
  1. Fajardo-Hill, Cecilia, Andrea Giunta, and Rodrigo Alonso. Radical Women: Latin American Art, 1960-1985. , 2017. Print.
  2. "Mercedes Elena Gonzalez". Artspace. Retrieved 2019-03-18.
  3. Mendoza, Anabela. "Venezuelan Artist Mercedes Elena Gonzalez at Henrique Faria Fine Arts". VAEA. Retrieved 2019-03-18.
  4. "Henrique Faria Fine Art - Mercedes Elena González: September 1955". www.henriquefaria.com. Retrieved 2019-03-18.
  5. Tate. "Abstract art – Art Term". Tate. Retrieved 2019-03-18.
  6. "Mercedes Elena González | Radical Women digital archive". Hammer Museum. Retrieved 2019-03-18.
  7. McAlpine, Claire (2016-10-31). "Was Georgia O'Keeffe actually painting vulvas?". Medium. Retrieved 2019-03-18.
  8. "Mercedes Elena González". Abstraction in Action. 2016-09-27. Retrieved 2019-03-18.
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