Hernan Salamanco
‘If you’re in the right mood, and open to opportunity, it’s interesting to see what catches the eye. If you’re lucky it’s something which takes you down new avenues. Walking down Camden Passage this week, I happen into a shop – drawn by the quirks off jolly domestic bliss that I spy from the street. ‘Smug’ www.ifeelsmug.com (website coming soon!) has a beautiful, simple, sophisticated interior, almost too grand for the well chosen and highly selective take on ‘all things domestic and pretty’ which are on sale there. I believe it’s what’s now called a ‘lifestyle’ shop. Everything is slightly random, attractive, lighthearted, warmhearted – not entirely what I need. I am irrationally drawn to brightly coloured washing up brushes and plastic measuring cups but resist.
In direct contrast to such fripperies there hangs a picture on the wall, ‘Interior Vista, 2008’, lodevveanscollection.com painted on metal sheeting and nailed on a mounting board. I felt compelled to enquire. Hernán Salamanco, I was told, is a young Argentine artist who lives and works in Buenos Aires and is represented by Braga Menendez Arte Contemporaneo. He began to paint using industrial enamel paint on metal “for sale” signs which started to pop up when Argentina went into economic collapse. Overnight people found they could not afford their mortgage repayments and there was a sudden surfeit of property up for sale. His materials were in short supply and expensive so he reused what he could find.
He continues to paint on metal and now, as his work has started to be collected, I’m told he does so out of choice.
Regrettably the images, in this instance, don’t really do these paintings full justice. In reality ‘Interior Vista’ has a real magnetism (being painted on metal, you must forgive the pun!). But what a very apt and charming story in these economically downturned times.
‘Smug’ has obviously been named with irony, but on a bad day it’s a name that could irritate. However, with the vision to have paintings like this on their shop wall, it’s a name that I find I can easily forgive. Especially when the lady behind the counter was so very friendly and generous with her information, and empty-handed I hurry home to research Hernán Salamanco.’ I didn’t want the ‘lifestyle’ and the painting wasn’t on sale.
Posted by Katie Barr-Sim 10 months ago in Art
About Katie Barr-Sim
Katie is a business development director. She still wonders what she’ll be when she grows up but has always had a keen eye for design and a way with words.
Comments
Hey Katie, nice to get this message from the great man himself!
hi katie thanks for sharing those nice words about part of my work i ll be hanging round during frieze art fair trying to promote and know some other people in london bye hernan salamanco
S-J said on Friday, September 25, 2009: