Fernando Andrade – Transition: Line and Color
Presa House is pleased to present two new exhibitions featuring San Antonio artist Fernando Andrade and Corpus Christi artist Joe Peña. Transition: Line and Color, and The Last Stop: Nightscape Series will be on view by appointment March 6, 2020, through March 28, 2020, with an opening reception First Friday, March 6, from 6 to 11 pm, featuring music by The Casbah, Brian Parrish.
Fernando Andrade (b. 1987) was born in the border town of Acuña, MX, and relocated to San Antonio, TX, at the age of seven. As an artist, Andrade works in two distinct bodies of work: representational drawings and abstract paintings. In his drawings, simple narratives are created by using figures and objects to explore current sociopolitical events or personal family stories, as portrayed in the series La Patria.
In contrast, his abstract paintings are improvised and organic colorful compositions. He views the process as therapeutic, allowing himself to imagine space, arrangement, and rhythmic affinities, which to him celebrate life itself.
Transitions: Line and Color was inspired by Malcolm Gladwell’s book Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking, and the theory that “There can be as much value in the blink of an eye as in months of rational analysis.” In this exhibition, Andrade shares his process with the viewer, giving a glimpse of the conversations that take place in his daily studio practice. As Andrade explains, “I believe that doubt is always in the back of our minds; one can argue more so in the creative process. Sometimes it is just a matter of putting the pieces together and working through a set of problems. I’m interested in letting the subconscious lead to concepts that will fully evolve in time.” Being open to working with colorful abstract paintings, graphite on spam mail envelopes, or even stitching on paper help Andrade discover and explore new concepts but, most importantly, stay actively connected to what he values most, the freedom to create.
Andrade was a recent recipient of the National Association of Latino Arts and Cultures individual artist grant in 2018. He has exhibited his work in numerous group and solo shows locally and nationally including exhibitions at (Solo) Peter’s Project Gallery, Santa Fe, NM; (Solo) Blue Star Contemporary, San Antonio, TX; (Group) Meadows Museum of Art, Shreveport, LA; (Group) Southwest School of Art, San Antonio, TX. Andrade has attended residencies at the Vermont Studio Center, and Eleverte Community Studio in Chicago, IL.