Mask Edgar Negret

In his works close to constructivism, the Colombian sculptor combined American and European effects, the ancient monolithic style and the modern spirit. After initial experiments with various materials, he found aluminium as best suited to his purpose. His works are mainly reliefs, with the cut out and bent aluminium sheet forms fixed to a flat surface. His forms resemble industrial steel profiles, but they are not found objects or recycled building materials. Every detail is designed and made by the sculptor, which results in the conspicuous elegance and precision of his constructions, as compared to the crudity and improvised nature of assemblages in general. The painting of the surface is not only to enhance the visual effect but also to tone down the metallic character and lend the work the impression of lightness. While searching for ways to develop an abstract sculptural idiom, Negret preserves the thematic contacts with reality. Though his works are self-governed abstract creations, there always remains a thematic reference in the formal elements that alludes to further layers of connotation with the help of the title.

Ferenc Tóth