Federico Herrero
Federico Herrero

The work of Costa Rica-based artist Federico Herrero is distinguished by the continuous examination of art in everyday life and the dialog between architectural elements and an artistic form language.

His handling of painting cannot be narrowed to a certain space or a certain place, since his painting paves its trail over walls and floors. Herrero has therefore, since the beginning of his artistic activity, been repeatedly looking for the public space in order to present his art: He for example chooses to make grey concrete columns amidst the city subject for his painting or trees become bearer of his paintings.

Every objects seems to be art worthy with Herrero and therefore a fluent transition of functional and artistic elements is shown in his art. The communication and fusion of space and art call for the spontaneity and the improvisation in his painting and at the same time characterize them.

This breakout from regular shapes also leaves its marks when Herrero transports his painting into a gallery and partially narrows them onto canvases. The creations in which color fields of intensive luminance and different colorfulness correspond with each other seem to arise from a certain arbitrariness in their developing process. However the large-sized paintings bare figures and landscapes which the viewer is only able to recognize with contemplation. The mosaic like color fields irritate the viewer at first, but on the second view also open small microcosms. Those implicated worlds are heightened by fantastical creatures that appear in Herreros paintings again and again and seem isolated on the canvas background.

The artist presents a solo show at the Sies + Höke Galerie for the third time in which new paintings of the artist can be seen. At the same time the place will experience direct changes through pictorial interferences as well, as Herrero will design local room and wall paintings especially for this exhibition.