Disintegration, Revisited by António Ole

Disintegrations

(Portion of Triptych)

"Luanda's Elinga Cultural Center, where António Ole's studio is located, also houses a theater. In the late 1990s the artist daily walked past an outdoor banner that advertised the theater. He watched over the months as it deteriorated from exposure to sun, wind and rain. Fascinated by its breakdown, he removed the tattered banner and began to tear it apart in his studio. Over the next three years he altered the arrangement of the banner strips until the letters were transfigured into abstract forms and the beauty of the deteriorating material was revealed. Securing the tattered strips onto canvas backing proved technically difficult, but in the process of experimentation Ole also developed new works that integrated peeling paint, crumbling plaster and other disintegrating materials. "

If you can, visit The National Museum of African Art in Washington, DC, before August 2 to see this beautiful exhibit. One of our favorite museums.