Using the simple materials of oil painting, Mateo Cohen Monroy applies elaborate processes to create sculptural works that redefine the concept of space in art. These austere compositions with minimalist pictorial lan- gouage require intense examination on the part of the observer; but this is richly rewarded by a new perspective: a glance beneath the surface of a painting.
6 “I believe that I am concerned with the same kinds of questions that many other artists have been exploring since the beginning of moder- nism. For example the question of a new dimension of space in art.” Cohen Monroy, who was born in Bogotá is hereby following a long tradition, and he explores this issue in many different ways. His work frequently begins with oils on canvas – very conventional at first glance. However, with the artist, spreading the paint onto the canvas is only the first step in a long artistic process…