Mercedes Perez San Martin
Bio
I was born in Buenos Aires in 1980. I studied at Escuela Prilidiano Pueyrredón, Art History at Universidad de Palermo, Masters in product design at the Hong Kong PolyU.
I studied with many artists in Buenos Aires, but mainly with Sergio Bazan.
My main solo shows (2006-2021) were at Universidad Catolica de Chile, Bisagra Gallery in Bs As, Salta Museum of Contemporary Art, Centro Cultural Recoleta (Bs As).
Some group shows (2006 to date) were at Kim Cole Projects, Espacio Andrea Brunson, Galeria Oncesiete (Bs As), Centro Cultural Recoleta (Bs As), Centro Cultural Borges (Bs As), Galería Cecilia Caballero (Bs As), Círculo Isrelita de Santiago .
I participated in residencies in Banff (Canada) and Epecuén (Province of Buenos Aires), and in the Rafaela Biennial.
I took tutorials at Taller Bloc in Santiago and Galería Arte x Arte in Bs.As.
I live and work in Santiago.
Statement
I have always worked from impulse, even in those works that seem more thoughtful. For me, painting is a process of assimilation. The forms develop as the strokes move forward, taking on a life of their own. There is never room for premeditation. The bucolic and surreal mood of the pieces refers to this working method where the hand is carried away by the unconscious.
In my last works the shapes became very organic and undefined. In my series of “retablos” (oil painting on plaster with carved wooden frames), the images seem inspired by still lifes from other times. It’s easel painting in the classical way, where the elements presented seem like organisms that grow, mutate and expand, only contained by the edges and by frames inspired by diverse archaic forms.
Finally, I am interested in working on the contradiction between the subtlety of the colors and the brutality of the materials. The format of these “retablos” allows the pieces to look as objects hanging from the walls.
