In this exhibition Angel Otero presents a new body of work highlighting the process-based art for which he is known. Through his innovative process of oil paint scraping, Otero venerates historical oil painting while confronting it head on. Materials such as canvas, desks, dining tables, and frames are treated as sculptural, three-dimensional surfaces utilizing two-dimensional techniques. After painting realistic imagery onto glass, Otero delicately peels off sheets of oil paint and grafts the layers to his object. With his creatio... Read more

In this exhibition Angel Otero presents a new body of work highlighting the process-based art for which he is known. Through his innovative process of oil paint scraping, Otero venerates historical oil painting while confronting it head on. Materials such as canvas, desks, dining tables, and frames are treated as sculptural, three-dimensional surfaces utilizing two-dimensional techniques. After painting realistic imagery onto glass, Otero delicately peels off sheets of oil paint and grafts the layers to his object. With his creations Otero says he wishes to “give a sense of abundance, unbalance, ambition, courage, and persistence within form, color and texture in every painting.”

Philosophical texts, theories of representation, and notions of abstraction inform Otero’s process, but his most central inspiration is personal. Otero’s work is heavily influenced by life in Puerto Rico, his relationship with family members, and his personal narrative. Instead of representing his life through art, he archives moments within it by creating opportunities of surprise and self-discovery.