SCULPTURE BY JAVIER ASTORGA IN CHINA 2014.
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With over thirty years performing professionally his artistic vocation, deeply linked to national roots, which go far back in time to tridimensional expressions of the ancient Mesoamerica, the oeuvre of the important Mexican sculptor and architect Javier Astorga, -who studied in the Universidad Iberoamericana-, has been acquired by collectors and governments of different countries, among others: Spain, France, Sweden, Norway, United Arab Emirates, Taiwan, United States of America, Burkina Faso (West Afrika), Canada, Argentina, Bolivia, The Netherlands and Brazil.
Another venue, more properly pedagogic of his task, has been the multiple conferences which he has given in universities and academic houses in Mexico and other countries, being out of the most recent the one he offered, in August 2013, in the frame of the International Biennale of carving stone “Marc la Tour”, in the city of Tulle, under the title of “L’art mesoamericain et son influence dans l’art contemporain”.
This -still- young value of the Latin-American fine arts (he was born in Mexico City on April 1964), has been brave and courageous enough to introduce himself in Asian territories few attended by our artists.
In different international parks in the People´s Republic of China there are several of his sculptures permanently exhibited years ago, most of which have been awarded in contests where remarkable national and international artists have participated.
Such as one is the case of the Wuhu Liu Kaiqu International Sculpture award exhibition, which was hold in its 4th. edition in the Chinese city of Wuhu, where our author introduced a recent sculpture, with which he got finalist in this competition, becoming the only representative of the American continent.
During the previous three years which has witnessed the Wuhu competition, located in the Wuhu international sculpture park, in central China and where actually 147 international sculptures from artists both local and foreign ones are permanently exhibited, it has been settled an undisputable prestige, which is clearly stated in the advertisement of its invitation:
…“As the most distinguished academic award in the field of the Chinese sculpture, the establishment of the award Liu Kaiqu takes place in order to improve the creative quality and to increase the appreciation of public art and urban sculpture, as well as to encourage and honor the outstanding achievements and to promote the academic research, the practice and development of the sculpture and to propel its worth and communication.”...
From the same documentary source, let´s copy the quotation where it is emphasized its interest for the melting of humanities and the return to nature with deep respect to its ecological environment.
“The exhibition Wuhu 2014 invites sculptors to adopt a new thought to create their works and to look for new possibilities in the artistic development by applying new art concepts which may combine humanities with nature. It is the task of this exhibition-with all affordable efforts- to create a new horizon in the landscape sculpture”.
“Based upon the principles of openness, fairness and justice, the organizing committee has gathered a jury whose main task is to build 35 finalist sculptures for permanent outdoors exhibition, which will be collected by the municipal government of the Chinese city of Wuhu”.
The chosen sculptures have been introduced and previously exhibited to the jury in the size of maquettes, in the city of Wuhu. Its manufacture in large scale size (minimum 4 meters high) will be produced in a local factory designated by the mentioned committee, where the artist himself will have to supervise the process of production, which will take place between the months of September, October and middle November of the current year 2014.
“Dance of Flowers and the Sun” (Danza de las Flores y el Sol), is the title chosen by the master Javier Astorga for the oeuvre with which he includes his presence in this important international artistic competition.
There isn´t the slightest doubt that this tridimensional creation has real possibilities to deserve an award due to the excellence in the imaginative design and impeccable manufacture, as well as for the shapes which recall subtle flaring wings of a flower of standing eclosion, which awesomely hold flying multicolored petals of a cenital phototropism. But who better than master sculptor Astorga to explain the artistic attempt of his creation:
Dance of Flowers and the Sun arises out of plastic units which “levitate¨ as long as the oeuvre grows and links with itself, opening up to the air and the perpetual dialogue between emptiness and the solid (…) The sun dances on top of the body of the sculpture such as a spinning fire work, barely touching the vegetal forms, sharing its warmth in the search for stability.
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Sculpture PHD. Lily Kassner
Summer of 2014.
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