Grimanesa Amorós
Encyclopedia
Grimanesa Amorós is an interdisciplinary artist with diverse interests in the fields of social history, scientific research and critical theory. She is most known for her public art
, particularly her light sculptures, and has exhibited internationally in the United States, Europe, and Latin America.
Concerned about her early success, Amorós moved to New York City
to try to make it on her own as an artist. Once there, she won a scholarship to study painting and printmaking at the Art Students League of New York
. She started mainly as a painter, but - thinking about paint in sculptural terms - eventually moved on to creating three-dimensional artworks.
had an accessibility and openness that always intrigued her. Amorós' earliest public pieces were Frente Feroz in Harlem, New York City
, an installation that incorporated silhouettes made from paper and light, and La Incubadora, at the Roger Smith Lab Gallery in New York City
, an installation incorporating paper-made sculpture and atmospheric lighting. These lighting installations led her to the bubble sculptures she would later be known for.
to create a lighting sculpture for Allure of the Seas, the largest cruise ship in the world.
Inspired by the lighting of the natural world in her travels, Amorós sought to find a way to incorporate technology to express her own interpretation of how nature impacts her. She created Racimo based on her experiences growing up in Peru spending long afternoons in the vineyards. She became fascinated by the color and shapes of the grapes. The shapes also mirrored her fascination with the shapes and colors of ocean foam.
Islands," which are a series of floating islands in Lake Titicaca bordering Peru and Bolivia. The islands are hand-made from dried totora reads by the pre-Incan Uros
people. When Amorós first visited the Uros Islands, she was struck by "the sense of weightlessness and spiritual connectivity" she experienced by walking on these floating islands.
The reeds are also used as a structural material to build everything from houses to boats in the Uros culture. Amorós has incorporated the shapes and patterns of these reeds into her lighting sculptures. Recent works include:
Alliance Public Arts Program in collaboration with The Armory Show (art fair)
, France
, Susana Baca
, in her video Between Heaven and Earth. Baca produced an original score for the video, titled "Nacimiento de Voces" ("Birth Voices"). She also produced an interview documentary titled, La Conexion Perfecta de Susana Baca, which was used in Baca's concerts. Amorós' latest collaboration with Baca is with the latter's latest album, Afrodiaspora, where Amorós designed and used images of her artwork with photos of Susana in the CD packaging.
In Rootless Algas, she worked with Hilmar Orn Hilmarsson
who produced an original score.
In Reflexion Obscura she worked with José Luis Pardo - multiple-Grammy nominated and Latin Grammy Winning Los Amigos Invisibles
on the score.
In La Incubadora she worked with multiple Grammy-nominated Meshell Ndegeocello.
In 2011, she did a special collaboration with fashion designer Manuel Fernandez
in his "Fashion Art" show, creating a dress titled Precious Nipples.
Public Work
Solo Exhibitions
Public art
The term public art properly refers to works of art in any media that have been planned and executed with the specific intention of being sited or staged in the physical public domain, usually outside and accessible to all...
, particularly her light sculptures, and has exhibited internationally in the United States, Europe, and Latin America.
Early life and career
Her artistic ambitions began when she was obsessed with drawing maps at a very young age. Her mother saw talent in her and enrolled Amorós in art classes at the age of eleven. When she was in her teens, she studied Psychology and Art simultaneously. She attended the Miguel Gayo Art Atelier in Lima, Peru. When she was eighteen, she exhibted a sold-out show featuring her paintings.Concerned about her early success, Amorós moved to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
to try to make it on her own as an artist. Once there, she won a scholarship to study painting and printmaking at the Art Students League of New York
Art Students League of New York
The Art Students League of New York is an art school located on West 57th Street in New York City. The League has historically been known for its broad appeal to both amateurs and professional artists, and has maintained for over 130 years a tradition of offering reasonably priced classes on a...
. She started mainly as a painter, but - thinking about paint in sculptural terms - eventually moved on to creating three-dimensional artworks.
Artwork
Amorós' interests in three-dimensional artworks lead to her exploration of paper-making processes. She brought this sensibility into her work with pieces such as La Incubadora at the Roger Smith Lab Gallery.Public Work
After years of showing in gallery spaces, public artPublic art
The term public art properly refers to works of art in any media that have been planned and executed with the specific intention of being sited or staged in the physical public domain, usually outside and accessible to all...
had an accessibility and openness that always intrigued her. Amorós' earliest public pieces were Frente Feroz in Harlem, New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, an installation that incorporated silhouettes made from paper and light, and La Incubadora, at the Roger Smith Lab Gallery in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, an installation incorporating paper-made sculpture and atmospheric lighting. These lighting installations led her to the bubble sculptures she would later be known for.
Racimo
Amorós had been gradually incorporating light into her sculptures, but her first major lighting sculpture was when she was commissioned by ICART for Royal Caribbean InternationalRoyal Caribbean International
Royal Caribbean International is a Norwegian and American cruise line brand based in Miami, Florida and owned by Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.. With 42 ships in service under 5 different brands and one more under construction, it controls a 25.6% share of the world cruise market...
to create a lighting sculpture for Allure of the Seas, the largest cruise ship in the world.
Inspired by the lighting of the natural world in her travels, Amorós sought to find a way to incorporate technology to express her own interpretation of how nature impacts her. She created Racimo based on her experiences growing up in Peru spending long afternoons in the vineyards. She became fascinated by the color and shapes of the grapes. The shapes also mirrored her fascination with the shapes and colors of ocean foam.
Uros body of work
In her lighting sculptures, Amorós has continuously returned to the theme of the "UrosUros
The Uros are a pre-Incan people who live on forty-two self-fashioned floating islands in Lake Titicaca Puno, Peru and Bolivia. They form three main groups: Uru-Chipayas, Uru-Muratos and the Uru-Iruitos...
Islands," which are a series of floating islands in Lake Titicaca bordering Peru and Bolivia. The islands are hand-made from dried totora reads by the pre-Incan Uros
Uros
The Uros are a pre-Incan people who live on forty-two self-fashioned floating islands in Lake Titicaca Puno, Peru and Bolivia. They form three main groups: Uru-Chipayas, Uru-Muratos and the Uru-Iruitos...
people. When Amorós first visited the Uros Islands, she was struck by "the sense of weightlessness and spiritual connectivity" she experienced by walking on these floating islands.
The reeds are also used as a structural material to build everything from houses to boats in the Uros culture. Amorós has incorporated the shapes and patterns of these reeds into her lighting sculptures. Recent works include:
Uros House in Times Square, NY
Part of The Times SquareTimes Square
Times Square is a major commercial intersection in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, at the junction of Broadway and Seventh Avenue and stretching from West 42nd to West 47th Streets...
Alliance Public Arts Program in collaboration with The Armory Show (art fair)
The Armory Show (art fair)
The Armory Show, The International Fair of New Art, is the largest contemporary art fair in New York, and one of the largest in the world. It originally started in 1994 as the Gramercy International Art Fair, an art fair held in the rooms of the Gramercy Hotel in New York City, and was founded by...
- This piece is currently being exhibited at the Paul and Lulu Hilliard University Art MuseumPaul and Lulu Hilliard University Art MuseumThe Paul and Lulu Hilliard University Art Museum is a museum located in Lafayette, Louisiana. In 1964, Lafayette businessman and philanthropist, Maurice Heymann donated to the University of Southwestern Louisiana , now University of Louisiana at Lafayette, three-acres of land located on the corner...
at the University of Louisiana at LafayetteUniversity of Louisiana at LafayetteThe University of Louisiana at Lafayette, or UL Lafayette, is a coeducational, public research university located in Lafayette, Louisiana, in the heart of Acadiana...
in Lafayette, LouisianaLafayette, LouisianaLafayette is a city in and the parish seat of Lafayette Parish, Louisiana, United States, on the Vermilion River. The population was 120,623 at the 2010 census...
Uros Island at the 2011 Venice Biennale
54th International Art Exhibition in Venice, Italy. Part of the Collateral Event FUTURE PASSGolden Uros as part of the 2011 APART Festival
At the Chapelle de la Persévérance in TarasconTarascon
Tarascon , sometimes referred to as Tarascon-sur-Rhône, is a commune in the Bouches-du-Rhône department in southern France.-Geography:...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
Collaborations
She collaborated with Afro-Peruvian singer and Peru's Minister of CultureMinistry of Culture (Peru)
The Ministry of Culture in Peru was created on 20 July, 2010, by Law Nº 29565 in Government of Alan García.The inaugural minister was Juan Ossio Acuña after his appointment on 4 September 2010.-List of Culture Ministers:...
, Susana Baca
Susana Baca
Susana Esther Baca de la Colina is a prominent Peruvian singer-songwriter; two-times Latin Grammy Award winner. She has been a key figure in the revival of Afro-Peruvian music within Peru....
, in her video Between Heaven and Earth. Baca produced an original score for the video, titled "Nacimiento de Voces" ("Birth Voices"). She also produced an interview documentary titled, La Conexion Perfecta de Susana Baca, which was used in Baca's concerts. Amorós' latest collaboration with Baca is with the latter's latest album, Afrodiaspora, where Amorós designed and used images of her artwork with photos of Susana in the CD packaging.
In Rootless Algas, she worked with Hilmar Orn Hilmarsson
Hilmar Örn Hilmarsson
Hilmar Örn Hilmarsson , also known as HÖH , is a musician, an art director, and allsherjargoði of Ásatrúarfélagið ....
who produced an original score.
In Reflexion Obscura she worked with José Luis Pardo - multiple-Grammy nominated and Latin Grammy Winning Los Amigos Invisibles
Los Amigos Invisibles
Los Amigos Invisibles is a multiple-Grammy nominated and Latin Grammy winning Venezuelan band that plays a blend of disco, acid jazz and funk mixed with Latin rhythms...
on the score.
In La Incubadora she worked with multiple Grammy-nominated Meshell Ndegeocello.
In 2011, she did a special collaboration with fashion designer Manuel Fernandez
Manuel Fernandez
Manuel "Manny" Fernandez was born .Fernandez is known for being the founder of the Gavilan Computer Corporation. This company was a pioneer, developing one of the first laptop computers, the Gavilan SC...
in his "Fashion Art" show, creating a dress titled Precious Nipples.
Exhibitions
Amorós has exhibited in the United States, Europe, and Latin America.Public Work
- 2011
- Festival APART 2011, “Golden Uros," Chapelle de la Persévérance (TarasconTarasconTarascon , sometimes referred to as Tarascon-sur-Rhône, is a commune in the Bouches-du-Rhône department in southern France.-Geography:...
, FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
) - Venice BiennaleVenice BiennaleThe Venice Biennale is a major contemporary art exhibition that takes place once every two years in Venice, Italy. The Venice Film Festival is part of it. So too is the Venice Biennale of Architecture, which is held in even years...
, “Uros Island," La Biennale di Venezia, 54th International Art Exhibition, ILLUMInazioni - ILLUMInations, Collateral Event Future Pass (Venice, Italy) - Times SquareTimes SquareTimes Square is a major commercial intersection in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, at the junction of Broadway and Seventh Avenue and stretching from West 42nd to West 47th Streets...
, “Uros House” as part of The Times SquareTimes SquareTimes Square is a major commercial intersection in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, at the junction of Broadway and Seventh Avenue and stretching from West 42nd to West 47th Streets...
Alliance Public Arts Program in collaboration with The Armory Show (art fair)The Armory Show (art fair)The Armory Show, The International Fair of New Art, is the largest contemporary art fair in New York, and one of the largest in the world. It originally started in 1994 as the Gramercy International Art Fair, an art fair held in the rooms of the Gramercy Hotel in New York City, and was founded by...
(New York, NY)
- Festival APART 2011, “Golden Uros," Chapelle de la Persévérance (Tarascon
- 2010
- Allure of the Seas, cruise ship “Racimo” (Turku, Finland)
- Hot Art Basel “La Recolección” (Basel, Switzerland)
- Tapestry, 245 East 124th St. “Tapiz” (New York, NY)
- 2009-2010
- tribeca Issey MiyakeIssey Miyakeis a Japanese fashion designer. He is known for his technology-driven clothing designs, exhibitions and fragrances.-Life and career:Miyake was born 22 April 1938 in Hiroshima, Japan. As a seven year-old, he witnessed and survived the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima on August 6, 1945. He studied...
Headquarters, “Aurora” (New York, NY)
- tribeca Issey Miyake
- 2007-08
- Jamaica Art Center (Flux 2007), “Remolino” Outdoor Video Projection (Queens, NY)
- AKA One Rittenhouse Square, “Human Survival” (Philadelphia, PA)
- Hudson River Community Health Center, “Substancial, Phase 4” (Peekskill, NY)
- 2007-05
- Hudson River Community Health Center Façade, “Substancial” (Peekskill, NY)
- Hudson River Community Health Center, Mobile Dental Van, “Ambulante” (Peekskill, NY)
Solo Exhibitions
- 2010
- Slag Gallery, “Conexion Dorada” (Golden Connection) (New York, NY)
- The Lab Gallery Rogersmith “La Incubadora” (New York, NY)
- 2009
- Centro de Cultura Antiguo Instituto (CCAI), Optica Fesvial “Remolino and La Maleta Del Inmigrante” (Gijon, Spain)
- 2008
- Hudson Valley Center for Contemporary Art “Rootless Algas” (Peekskill,NY)
- Hardcore Art Contemporary Space “You Cannot Feel It…I Wish You Could” (Miami, FL)
- 2006
- City Art Gallery, Fifth Edition “ Reflexion Obscura”, Natural/Human Festival (Varna, Bulgaria)
- Hostos Center for the Arts & Culture, “Between Heaven and Earth & Rootless Algas” (Bronx, New York)
Awards and Grants
- 2005 X Tumi USA Award (Miami,FL)
- 2004
- Centrum Arts, Residency (Port Townsend, WA)
- ARTspace Summer Artist-in-Residence (Raleigh, NC)
- 2003 Art In Embassies Program of the U.S. Department of State (Lima, Peru)
- 2002
- Virginia Center for the Creative Arts Fellowship Residency (Lynchburg, VA)
- Santa Fe Art Institute Artist Residency (Santa Fe, New Mexico)
- 2001 Art in Embassies Program of the U.S. Department of State, (Ankara, Turkey).
- 1994 Travel Grants Fund for Artists, NEA, Arts International, (New York, NY)
- 1993
- National Endowment for the Arts Visual Art Fellowship (Washington, DC)
- Art-Omi Residency (Columbia County, NY)
- 1990 The Bronx Museum of the Arts: Aim Program (Bronx, NY)