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PAINTER RICHARD ALVAREZ EXHIBITS NEW WORKS AT HALCYON
227 SMITH STREET, BROOKLYN, NY
OCTOBER 22, 2001 - NOVEMBER 22, 2001

Glittering pigments catch the light, a pearly white on white. Painted only on glass they take on the quality of precious metal. The images are barely discernable until I move closer. I walk a few feet to the left and the image shimmers into focus. As I move a foot closer to the right, depth gently pushes out from the painting into view. A woman’s head is thrown back in ecstasy, her breasts pushing and smothering her face as she arches her back, the outline of her genitals vibrate when I turn my head right to left. If I move away and bend down a little her open legs come into view. “Not the usual religious stuff,” I think to myself. I look around and there is an image of Christ, but maybe it isn’t. His legs are spread open and beckons like the Sacred Heart of Christ.
Although Alvarez’s new work seems to be a carnal study of sorts, rarely does it depart from his usual fixation with themes of religion, guilt and repression. He taunts us with connections of religion vs. repression, of pleasure vs. pain. His fastidious preoccupation with rituals explored through painted childhood images of Santeria in earlier work is now again revisited through his new images of pleasure. Because the ‘religious’ are concerned with ‘vows’ and religion with faith and worship, are not our acts of sexual pleasure also devoted to worship and faith? In particular, obsessive faith with what feels good, or in this case, what looks like something that might feel pleasurable. The religious icons and the images of previously repressed sexuality are closely connected. Richard Alvarez gives us a glimpse of religion. If only sub-consciously, he asks us to look at what gives us pleasure, and then challenges us to lift whatever that may be to martyrdom.

Benjamin Soto
October 2001

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CREED AS CONSTRUCT

Richard Alvarez creates paintings in a vernacular that is arcane, yet at the same time excitingly new. He approached his work with a keen eye in the classical past, His reverential and sometimes mournful images are in part suggestive of Duccio, as they are stylized and Siennese in mood. At the same time, his technique of transferring images on glass, painting with acrylics, glitter, epoxy, and other synthetic polymers evoke a mass popular urban culture. Mr. Alvarez recently exhibited a series of paintings based on figures of colonial Christendom. He also chose to paint the devotional poster child of several belief systems. Ganesh, Jesus, Yemaja, Elegua, and Obatala are some of the illuminated deities. They were framed in antique frames, which were newly painted or gilded in gold, and yet appeared much older due to a purposeful attrition. The work matched the framing in context. Some of the figures had their manes written across their chest in a pronouncement, much like a graffiti artist would apply his or her own signature “tag”. These modern martyrs seem to be advertising themselves, as so much religious art was historically used for solicitation, The inclusion of a decorated Ku Klux Klansman and his own version of the “Absolut” ad campaign in this series shows that Mr. Alvarez realized the subtleties of promotion and modern testimony. His figures make this statement: “Come forth, look upon my beauty - believe what I believe.”

Erika Belle
New York City 2000

Forsaken Heaven To Give You My Love

pigment and glitter on glass
46"x46"

Untitled

pigment and glitter on vellum
24"x36"

Untitled

pigment, paper and glitter on vellum
24"x36"

Untitled

pigment, paper and glitter on vellum
24"x36"

Untitled

pigment and glitter on vellum
24"x36"

Untitled

2008
pigment and glitter on vellum
24"x36"

Untitled

Untitled

Untitled

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Untitled

Less Beyond

Installation (part 1 of 4)
pigment, paper and glitter on glass
13 inches x 22 feet

Less Beyond

Installation (part 2 of 4)
pigment, paper and glitter on glass
13 inches x 22 feet

Less Beyond

Installation (part 3 of 4)
pigment, paper and glitter on glass
13 inches x 22 feet

Less Beyond

Installation (part 4 of 4)
pigment, paper and glitter on glass
13 inches x 22 feet