FAKE ABSTRACT: Lino Lago

After much anticipation, Rhodes Contemporary Art takes great pleasure in presenting the UK debut solo exhibition of Spanish artist Lino Lago.

The show will display new original works, from his ongoing Fake Abstract series, in which Lago employs his unique visual language of traditional portraiture, combined with contemporary minimalism.  In this show Lago urges us to reconsider contemporary art’s relationship to more classical artistic traditions, whilst also reflecting on beauty ideals and our collective perceptions of reality. 

As a visual artist, Lago continues to push the boundaries of contemporary art practices. Painting with technically traditional oil paints and appropriating from the imagery of classical European portraits, Lago’s work is permeated by a distinctly contemporary feel. He began to explore the juxtapositions that arose between the formal realism of classic Academic art with the conceptual and abstract visual aesthetics of contemporary art in earlier projects including ‘Paint Over Paint’.

Whilst influenced by the art academies of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth century, there is no doubt that conceptually and visually, Lago’s work belongs to the milieu of contemporary art. His distinguished artistic career has seen him collect prizes from the Queen of Spain to being featured as one of Fuera de Serie’s artist to invest in.

The distinctly bold abstract line disturbs the conventional portrait form, imitating the mark of a digital brush and reclaiming traditional artistic methods. However, viewers might be surprised to know that these dynamic lines are infilled by Lago’s own hand, which also create moments of invisibility. His minimalist use of line and abstract shape succeed in creating beautifully striking works, whilst also discussing theoretical concepts of reality.

"Reality is both biased, fragmented and incomplete. Reality is never fake.”

Fake Abstract critiques the contemporary art world and its notions of operating without an ideology and outside of any historical context. Instead, Fake Abstract alludes to the history of art, specifically the XIX Academy. Lago suggests that contemporary art is the Academy of today; still preoccupied with old mythologies and folklore, but recreated through a fresh new imagery.

The exhibition will run from 1st July - 30th August 2020.

(Operating within Government opening restrictions, new measures will be in place to ensure the safety of staff and clients/visitors)

For all enquiries, please contact info@rhodescontemporaryart.com