Martí Cormand (New York) has lived and worked in Brooklyn since 2002. His recent drawings are reproductions of significant conceptual art made with precision and exacting attention to detail.
Galería Cayón and Galería Casado Santapau, both representing the artist, show a selection of works from the series “Formalizing their concept”.
In these works the main topic is the reproduction and reinterpretation of some works made by conceptual artists like Joseph Kosuth, Marcel Broodthaer, Liliana Porter or Sherrie Levine between 1960 and 1980.
Martí Cormand’s work is specially noted for his ability of drawing light as well as transparencies and different textures on plain surfaces using only graphite. By doing this, the artist generates artworks that are a rigorous copy of the original and, at the same time, he questions the capability of artistic techniques to imitate.
Thus, Martí takes a stand against the conceptualism re-presented in the works at the exhibition. Conceptual art considers the idea essential and execution perfunctory. The idea is what creates art. And because the idea is paramount for conceptual artists they tend to use suitable material for quick and immediate communication. On the other hand, Martí Cormand stares at details and techniques.
He claims that as he has nothing urgent to communicate, he investigates others beliefs and ideas. This is why he “tends to focus on the details, instruments and the different steps of the process”.
At the Orfila space the visitor will be able to see a clear example of this confrontation. The original Joseph Kosuth “One and three triangles” (1965) will be exhibited together with Cormand’s copy. An interesting dialogue is established between them because, even though they emphasize different issues, both take ownership of alien objects and discourses in order to create. To Kosuth it matters the idea not the materials thus, he puts together objects previously existing and creates an art work.
In other words, what is important here is what Kosuth brings to the front by this particular presentation. In “One and three triangles” he creates a trinity formed by the thing, the reference and the definition. Sign, signifier and signified are shown in a same work of art which demands not only to see but to think. Joseph Kosuth brings up the question about the essence of the triangle: What is a triangle? Is it the object, the word, the definition or the image?
By contrast, Martí uses Kosuth’s idea to investigate about materials and others certainties. He is not ruled by beliefs; he allows himself to get lost in the technique and uncertainty in order to stir up new questions.
His work is included in The Alfond Collection of Contemporary Art, Cornell Fine Arts Museum, Florida; Cartin Collection, Connecticut and West Collection, Pennsylvania, among other collections. He is one of the four Spanish artists of his generation in the Museum of Modern Art Collection in New York.
