 Matrix 10-I, 2004 Mixed media on canvas, 82 1/2 x 118 inches Ouattara Watts New Paintings "My vision is not based only on a country or a continent; it's beyond geography, or what is seen on a map. Even though I localize it to make it understood better, it is wider than that. It refers to the cosmos" (Ouattara Watts, 1993). Through the medium of painting, Ouattara Watts magically fuses the disparate social, cultural and spiritual influences of his life into a universally relevant visual language. In this latest work since his inclusion in Documenta 11 and his exhibit at the Hood Museum of Art, Watts amalgamates signs and symbols from spiritual literature. Watts's large-scale paintings and drawings offer a rich materiality that reflects the artist's own multifaceted identity. Watts often creates layers on the canvas by attaching materials extracted from his daily life in New York City, as well as those evoking his African origins. Infused with vibrant color, abstract forms, and various cultural signifiers, Watts's work not only references the various nations with which he identifies, but also investigates the greater, universal connections that link us all beyond geography. Ultimately, Watts's work carries a sense of energy that synthesizes its elements beyond their sum, and leads us into a higher spiritual realm. Watts's work, recently exhibited at the 2002 Whitney Biennial and the P.S. 1 Contemporary Art Center, articulates a complex, international sensibility. Watts has developed a wide vocabulary of symbols and forms - ranging from visual to linguistic, numeric, and scientific - with which he communicates his dynamic vision. This exhibition presents new works by Ouattara Watts that continue to explore the artist's multinational identity. Exhibition: 6 November - 23 December, 2004 Gallery hours: Tue-Sat 11 am - 6 pm, or by appointment Tracy Williams Gallery 313 bis West 4 Street USA-New York, NY 1004 Telephone +1 212 229 27 57 Fax +1 212 229 25 71 www.tracywilliamsltd.com |
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