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BLINDNESS | /ˈblīndnəs/ - Defined as the absence of sight; lack of perception, awareness, or judgment; ignorance. The exhibition JAVIER MARTIN: LIGHTS APPROPRIATION showcasts 11 works with a thought-provoking boldness that represent the most recent continuation of Javier Martin’s Blindness series.
Behind the glow of spectacular neon stripes, tempting models are depicted. They have been taken out of their perfectly staged world of advertising. Their seductive glances hide behind vibrant lights and a direct eye contact with the viewers is impossible. The eyes, understood as the mirror of human emotions, are intentionally covered up, causing ambivalent feelings and challenging questions.
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"Javier Martin is a multidisciplinary artist who bases his creative exploration on the careful observation of his surroundings, detecting semiotic relationships that might otherwise pass by unnoticed to the myopic observer.
With this approach, the artist conceives circumstances that invite reflection on impending matters in today's world. His works carry eloquent meaning and profound political messages, prompting viewers to reflect on their behavior and social responsibility. Through his work Martin demonstrates his capacity to manipulate materials and conditions to construct sharp visual metaphors masterfully."
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"Vision, much deeper than just the physical and biological defined sense of sight. Javier Martin's Blindness Collection explores the notion of sight, or the lack thereof. The eyes not only permit the observation of the world but provide a window to see inward, beyond the realm of the physical."
THIS EXHIBITION ENCOURAGES SELF-REFLECTION. MARTIN USES SOPHISTICATED VISUAL ELEMENTS TO STIMULATE THE VIEWERS CURIOSITY, TO LET THEM QUESTION WHAT MAY BE HIDDEN BEHIND THE LIGHTS AND WHAT BLINDS US.
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"Javier has spent over ten years developing one of his most iconic and compelling collections, Blindness. Appropriating the language of advertising, he deconstructs the perceived perfection to create contrast, exploring the warped concepts of beauty and value."
Through excellent artistic skills Martin combines painting and collage in order to detect the transformation of the natural daylight, and places it in a powerful battle with the artificial light. He takes us on a journey from poetic sunsets to sunrises, dark night skies and graceful twilights, and creates new allegories of natural light.
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"Mass media, consumption, and the systems created by society occupy space with vapid distractions, dimming the pure light burning inside each of us which fuels our passions and lives. The neon in the Blindness Light Collection references the bright, artificial lights of consumer culture built to distract from what is truly meaningful.
The ultimate goal is not the light but discovering what is behind the light, what lives in each of us."
These works allow us autocritical questions: How strong is the blindness that comes from favoring unimportant things? Is a clear sight hindered by something or are we intentionally covering our eyes?
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"In today's society, perception is everything.
Martin's work gives form to the inarticulate feelings of self-worth. Known for its thought-provoking boldness, he creates art that rattles nerves, stirs the senses, and invites the viewer to not only question societal views of worth but their perspectives as well."
Javier Martin: Lights Appropriation
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