Gonzalo Papantonakis

gallery nine5 is proud to present new works by Gonzalo Papantonakis.

Gonzalo Papantonakis weaves the written word, disparate objects and abstract images together in energetic installations that re-imagine pictorial surfaces. Papantonakis’ innovative approach to composition and assemblage continues from that of the Neo-Dadaists, particularly Jasper Johns and Robert Rauschenberg. Forging a new visual language, the artist’s powerful, multi-dimensional installations are comprised of a staggering range of media and frequently extend onto multiple canvases and panels.

This exhibition at gallery nine5 marks a vital point in the artist’s career, heralding both an expansion into a broader repertoire of media, and the emergence of an even greater sophistication with which he explores the influences and motifs present since his earliest artistic explorations.

Papantonakis repeats images obsessively. Flora, images of childhood, and musical elements recur with near compulsive frequency throughout the artist’s oeuvre. The species of flower used in his motifs often varies from series to series, however one finds constancy in the freeform manner in which they are depicted. Papantonakis’ latest works are strewn with images of roses, however they appear alongside what is almost a catalog of flowers drawn from the artist’s previous pieces.

Evocations of childhood are found throughout Papantonakis’ canvases in the recurrence of images such as bike helmets, ballerinas and video-game controllers. Many works incorporate collage and a rough handling of form, which communicates a sense of youthful spontaneity.

Based in Los Angeles, Papantonakis spent his childhood between Uruguay and Argentina before traveling extensively throughout Europe and the United States. The artist’s work is held in prestigious collections throughout Europe, the United States, Latin America, Australia and Asia. Papantonakis has also completed numerous site-specific works including a monumental installation at the Thompson Hotel (Thom Bar) in New York City.