Edgar Orlaineta

Steve Turner Contemporary is pleased to present Solar Nothing, a solo exhibition by Mexico City-based artist Edgar Orlaineta that will feature sculpture, collage and video. Orlaineta was inspired by Charles Eames’ Solar Do-Nothing Toy, a 1958 project commissioned by Alcoa (Aluminum Company of America) for its Design Forecast program and advertising campaign that aimed to promote the use of aluminum in industrial design after World War II. Without a mandate for a specific function, Eames designed a toy that had no specific use, hence its name. He wanted to create something related to natural resources, something that would convey an idea, yet not something that had a specific use. He was inspired by the idea of solar energy and used it to power the prototype toy. Though the toy was never mass-produced, and the current whereabouts of the original is unknown, the Solar Toy received a lot of attention in 1958. Over the past several years Orlaineta has done extensive research, and based on his findings, he has produced new versions of the toy, using a combination of traditional Mexican and modern industrial techniques to recycled aluminum, tin and wood. His photo-collages are based on period press accounts and the remnants from his own production processes. His video depicts ten Sufi solar ritual dancers wearing Tanoura skirts whose designs were based on the Solar Toy’s shapes and colors. The video is reminiscent of Eames’ films, Power of Ten and Tops while the costumes are related to Mexican crafts.

To Orlaineta, the re-creation of this object is not merely symbolic or referential; it aims to demonstrate the potential of matter and objects, and serves to activate history while highlighting Eames’ prophetic perspective on diminishing natural resources. Solar Nothing fits squarely within Orlaineta’s artistic practice of recontextualizing modern design to demonstrate aesthetic and social values.

Eames’ view of design mirrors Orlaineta’s view of art:

…this would be a good test for any design. Does it make somebody aware of something that it is important for him to be aware of? And does it do it in a manner that is delightful (which is the opposite of pedantic)? In fact, this could be a good starting point for somebody wanting to make a design: to think first about what he wanted to make people aware of, and then to move toward the most effective and pleasing way of bringing this about.*

Edgar Orlaineta creates works that re-contextualize modern design to demonstrate aesthetic and social values. He has made works that were inspired by the designs of Charles Eames, Gerrit Rietveld and Eero Sarinen as well as the art of those of the Huichols, the Hopis and other traditional Mexican crafts.

Born in Mexico City in 1972, Edgar Orlaineta received an MFA from Pratt Institute, New York (2004) and a BFA from Escuela Nacional de Pintura y Grabado, Mexico City (1998). He has had solo exhibitions at Steve Turner Contemporary, Los Angeles; Casa Estudio Luis Barragan, Mexico City; Galería de Arte Mexicano, Mexico City and Sara Meltzer Gallery, New York. In 2012, his work was included in Factory Direct at the Andy Warhol Museum, Pittsburgh and at LAXART, Los Angeles.

Born in 1972, Mexico City
Lives and works in Mexico City

Education

2004
MFA, Pratt Institute, New York

2002
Academia de Cine, Arte 7, Mexico City. Diploma in Film Direction

1998
BFA, Escuela Nacional de Pintura, Escultura y Grabado, La Esmeralda, Mexico City

Selected Solo Exhibitions

2011
Solar Nothing, Steve Turner Contemporary, Los Angeles

2010
Monocrome Set, Casa Estudio Luis Barragan, Mexico City
La Vida En Rosa, Azul y Amarillo, Casa Estudio Luis Barragan, Mexico City
Chance Encounters, Galería de Arte Mexicano, Mexico City
Chance Encounters, Artissima Art Fair. Torino, Italy, PRESENT FUTURE project (curated by Jimena Acosta)

2009
We Are Ugly But We Have The Music, Galería de Arte Mexicano, Mexico City
De Todas Las Cosas Que Hemos Hecho, el Clauselito, Museo de la Ciudad de México, Mexico City (curated by Mauricio Marcin)

2008
Spirits, Sara Meltzer Gallery, New York City

2007
Ghosts, Galería de Arte Mexicano, Mexico City
Introductions, Sara Meltzer Gallery, New York City

2006
Dandy in the Underworld, Jet Gallery, Berlin (curated by Tilman Wendland)
Historia Parallela-La Silla De C.U., M.U.C.A. C.U. Mexico City (curated by Jimena Acosta)
Cargo Cult, Cuchifritos Project Space, New York (curated by Paul Clay)

2005
The Idea of Work, Galería de Arte Mexicano, Mexico City
Medios Masivos, La Celda Contemporaria, Universidad del Claustro de Sor Juana, Mexico City, (curated by Sol Henaro)

2002
La Belleza No Es Mia, Galería de Arte Mexicano, Mexico City

Selected Group Exhibitions

2013
Proyecto Basurto, Steve Turner Contemporary, Mexico City

2012
Neo Natural, Steve Turner Contemporary, Los Angeles
Exhibitions: Santiago Borja, Edgar Orlaineta, Tilman Wendland, LA><ART, Los Angeles
Factory Direct: Pittsburgh, The Andy Warhol Museum, Pittsburgh

2011
Multitude, Orebro Konsthall, Orebro, Sweden (curated by Christer Fallman, Gabriel Mestre and Mats Nilsson)
Transurbaniac, MUAC, Mexico City

2010
Portugal Arte – Billboard project, Lisbon, Portugal (curated by Lauri Firstenberg and Cesar Garcia)
Transurbanic, U.C.S.D, San Diego (curated by Guillermo Santamarina)
México – Chapultepec 1904, San Carlos Centro Cultrural, Mexico City, Mexico (curated by Bárbara Perea and Minory León)
The Well, The Yossef Weissman Municipal Art Gallery, Tel-Aviv, Israel (curated by Orly Hafmann)
Cafe Tcshichold, Cuchifritos, New York City (curated by Edgar Orlaineta)
23D, MH Gallery. Tel-Aviv, Israel (curated by Orly Hoffman)
Quatet, Sara Meltzer Gallery, New York (curated by Rachel Gugleberger and Jeffrey Walkowiak)
Creacion en Movimento (20 años de Jóvenes Creadores-FONCA), Biblioteca José Vasconcelos
Hecho en Casa, Museo de Arte Moderno, Mexico City
El Ahijado, Alterna y Corriente, Mexico City (co-curated by Alejandro Almanza, Anibal Catalán, Miguel Cordera, José Luis Cortés, Lucía Díaz y Helena Fernández-Cavada)

2008
Los Moviles. (II Trienal Poligráfica de San Juan de Puerto Rico), San Juan, Puerto Rico (co-curated by Jens Hoffman, Julieta González and Adriano Pedrosa)
La Cooperativa De Arte En Video, Laboratorio de Arte Alameda. Mexico City (curated by Fernando Llanos)
Recursos Incontrolables y Otros Desplazamientos Naturales. A selection from the permanent collection Museo Univesitario de Arte Contemporaneo, MUAC, Mexico City (curated by Oliver Debroise)
Las Lineas de La Mano, Museo Univesitario de Arte Contemporaneo, MUAC, Mexico City (curated by Jimena Acosta)
Works of Art With a Minimum of Steel, at Galería de Arte Mexicano, Mexico City
LatinoLatino, Pallazzo della Vicaria in Trapani (curated by Raffaella Guidobono)
Implant, The Horticultural Society of New York at USB gallery, New York City, (curated by Jodie Vicenta Robinson)
W.D.A.O.V.T.O.P.N.N.M.T.B.V., organized by Michalis Pichler, Presentation at Baso, Berlin. Distribution by Revolver, Frankfurt
Transit Cases: Chairs from Mexico, Centro Cultural Univesitario Tlatelolco, Mexico City, (curated by Jimena Acosta)

2007
Elefante Negro, Museo Diego Rivera Anahuacalli, Mexico City (curated by Ximena Apisdorf and Edgar Orlaineta)
Currents: Recent Acquisitions, Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Washington, D.C. (curated by Anne Ellegood)
Inventario, Museo de Arte Carillo Gil, Mexico City (curated by Victor Palacioas)
Red Badge of Courage, The National Newark Building, Newark (curated by Omar López-Chahoud)
Deambulante, Galería José María Velasco, Mexico City (curated by Alfredo Matus)
Hecho en Mexico: VIDEO ARTE MEXICANO CONTEMPO-RANEO. LOOP ’07, organized by Fernando Llanos, Caixa Forum Barcelona, Barcelona
Ceci N’est Pas…, Sara Meltzer Gallery, New York City (curated by Rachel Gugelberger and Jeffrey Walkowiak)
Perdidos en el Despacio, Fundació espais d’art contemporani, Girona (curated by Ximena Labra and Artemio)

2006
Denial is a River, Sculpture Center, New York (curated by Anthony Huberman and Sarina Basta)
Relativo, MUCA, Museo Univercitario de Ciencias y Arte, Campus Roma. Universidad Nacional, Mexico City (curated by Bárbara Perea)

2005
Critic’s Select, The Shore Institute of the Contemporary Art, New Jersey (curated by D.Dominick Lombardi and Raúl Zamudio)
Breve Historia Contada a Mano, Centro de Arte de la Comunidad de Madrid (curated by Gonzalo Ortega)
MÉXICO 70, Museo de la Casa del Lago, UNAM. Mexico City (curated by Erik Castillo)
The Peekskill Project, Peekskill, New York (curated by Natalie Angles, Paul Clay, Erin Donnelly, Lance Fung, Dr. Kòan Jeff-Baysa, Alison Levy, Jessica Rogers, Sue Stoffel, and Joseph R. Wolin)

2003
Contemporary Mexican Video Art: A program of short works hosted by Ruben Gutierrez.
Mexico Illuminated/ México Iluminado, Freedman Gallery, Pennsylvania
The Vanishing City, Programa Art Center, México City, Museum of Installation, London (curated by Nicola Oxley, Nicolas de Oliveira and Jeremy Wood)

2000
Erogena, Museo de Arte Carillo Gil, Mexico City and S.M.A.K., Ghent (curated by Magalí Arriola)
Pasaje Iturbide, Museo de la Ciudad de México, Mexico City (curated by Terence Gower)
Cinco Continentes y Una Ciudad-Segundo, Salon Internacional de Pintura, Museo de la Ciudad de México, Mexico City (curated by Cuauhtémoc Medina)

1998
Instalaciones Para Sito Especifico, Galería de Arte Mexicano, Mexico City

1997
Cambio, Temporary space, New York, Museo Universitario del Chopo, Mexico City (curated by Kenny Schachter)No Soy Chino, Art & Idea, Mexico City (curated by Ruben Gallo)
New Texts From Mexico, Art Deposit, New York City

1996
Environmex, Art Deposit, Mexico City (curated by Ulises)

Selected Bibliography

2009
Noreña, Aurora, “De todas las cosas que hemos hecho.” May Marcin, Mauricio, “Enanos encaramados en hombros de gigantes.” May

2008
Rosemberg, Karen, “Yes, the live music is lovely, but will the plants like it,” New York Times, August Palacios, Victor, “Binding Durations,” Flash Art, March/April
Zamudio, Raul, “Spirits,” Flash Art, March/April
Gopnik, Blake, “Function following form,” The Washington Post, February 10
Wolin, Joseph R., “Spirits,” Time Out New York, January 24

2007
Dietsch, Deborah K., “Hirshhorn’s newest art,” Washington Times, December 8
Baker, R.C., “Spirits,” The Village Voice, January 18
Canning, Susan, “Denial is a River,” Sculpture, April
Conner, Jill, “Denial is a River,” The Brooklyn Rail, Dec/Jan
Manley, Jennifer, “Denial is a River,” Queens Chronicles, September
McAdams, Shane, “Spirits,” Chelsea Now, January
Peran, Martí, “Spatial Occupation Exercise to Try to Say Quickly that Space is Constructed
Slowly,” Perdidos en el despacio, Fundació Espais d’Art Contemporani, Girona

2006
Wendland, Tilman, “Edgar Orlaineta-Dandy in the Underworld,” Jet gallery, Berlin June

2005
Ortega, Gonzalo, “Breve historia contada a mano,” Centro de arte Jóven, Madrid Zamudio-Taylor, Victor, “Edgar Orlaineta,” Origina

2004
Gallo, Ruben, “New Tendencies in Mexican Art – The 1990s,” Palgrave Macmillan

2000
Arriola, Magalí, “Burbujas de jabón” for the exhibition catalogue of Erogena, Museo de Arte Carrillo Gil, Mexico City, Mexico/ SMAK, Ghent
Medina, Cuauhtemoc, “Post Nacional y Post Pictórico.” Cinco continentes y una ciudad, Museo de la Ciudad de México, Mexico City

1997
Holland, Cotter, “Cambio,” The New York Times, Nov. 28

Awards

2008
Sistema Nacional de Creadores, FONCA, Mexico
Pollock-Krasner Foundation Grant, Pollock-Krasner Foundation, New York
International Residency Program, Banff Center, Canada, FONCA, Mexico

2007
International Residency Program, Pilotprojekt Gropiusstandt, Berlin

2006
Young Creators Grant, New Forms, FONCA, Mexico
International Residency Program, Triangle Art, New York

2005
International Residency Program, ArtOmi, New York
International Residency Program, Braziers, London

2002
Study Aboard Grant, MFA at Pratt Institute, New York FONCA, Mexico

2001
Young Creators Grant, Painting, FONCA, Mexico

1997
Special Projects Grant, Art Deposit, FONCA, Mexico City