JULIO RONDO
Contemporary Artists
Bath
Julio Rondo reverses the traditional process by painting behind glass, beginning with the foreground, and building upon it layer upon layer to create the background. Paint is also applied on the backboard of the frame with shapes of pale colours. In doing so, Julio turns the piece into a three-dimensional object, with illusions of light and shadow.
Julio Rondo was born in Spain in 1952, but has lived in Germany since 1962. He lives and works in Berlin and teaches at university in Stuttgart, where he is a professor at the Merz Akademie. He has been widely exhibited around Europe and the United States.
His work is composed of multiple surfaces. At first, large monochromic and pale shapes are painted on a wood backboard. This simple design will contrast with a multi-layered grid and lines, applied behind a glass. Julio abandons the directness of his hand to the preference of acrylic airbrushes. Some lines will be bold and dark, others will be delicate as a silk web.
A frame will enclosed the two structures, giving a three-dimensional aspect to the final work. Shadows will come from inside while the reflective glass will absorbe the outside exhibiting place. Julio reverses the standard procedure of painting. In this way, the visual structure is analytically dissected.
'Miles from Here' - pdf catalogue