Artist Spotlight
Name: Ernesto Kunde
City: Miami, FL
Birthplace: Paraiso do Sul, BRAZIL
Artistic Medium: Painting and Mixed Media
How did you get started? I have always had a passion for art. Growing up in Rio Grande do Sul, I was inspired by the scenic, pastoral surroundings and used whatever resources I could find to paint. Since then I have pursued my interest in painting everywhere I have lived. It is only in the last few years, however, that I have pursued opportunities to show my work professionally.
Who or what are your influences? I am a self-taught artist, so I have innumerable influences. Because I am self-taught I always like to try different techniques. As a result, my influences have changed over the years. Early on I was drawn to the work of the masters like Cezanne, Van Gogh and Monet. More recently, I have really connected with the work of Wolf Kahn and Whitfield Lovell. I am always evolving as an artist and trying to merge different techniques.
What inspires your work? More than anything, I am inspired by my surroundings. I tend to notice details. The light and changing colors of the day and seasons affect my way of painting. I tend to paint my surroundings. The subject of my paintings often reflects places in which I have lived. I am also inspired by history, current events and moments in my own life. Right now, I am working on a series about Miami. The buildings I am painting are current, but one day they will be history and I am trying to capture them before they are gone. Recently, I completed another series on found wood, entitled Revolution Narrative. This series was influenced by current events, namely the revolutions going on in Egypt and Libya. The themes present in this series, though, reflect themes that have been present in wartime situations throughout history.
How does Miami/South Florida influence your work?Miami has a unique energy and way with light that are reflected in my recent work. As I mentioned earlier, I am currently working on a series as a tribute to this great city.
How would you describe your work? My work has really evolved over time. I used to paint primarily landscape and abstract paintings. Now both my subject matter and my techniques are more varied. My pieces on wood tend to be provocative and dark. In contrast, my pieces on canvas tend to be more vibrant and have more splashes of color.
What has been the most unusual reaction to your work from the public? My most unusual response came from an individual who was colorblind. He fell in love with one of my pieces with orange and a lot of black and white contrast, because in his words, "he could actually see it!" In general, though, the reactions are varied and I think reveal as much about the viewers as about the works of art.
What would you like to achieve as an artist? On a professional level, I hope to achieve more exposure and recognition. Recently, I have been showing my work primarily in Ft. Lauderdale, Pompano and Boca Raton. I'd like to break into the Miami scene more deeply and from there pursue opportunities to show my work in other places. From a personal standpoint, my goal as an artist is to continue evolving. I have no idea what I will be doing with my art in five or ten years from now. One step builds on another, but the end result is unpredictable and there are no rules. That is what I love about it.
Upcoming shows:
NOSTALGIA a Solo Show at Rossetti Fine Art Gallery, October 7-17
Where is your work available?
Rossetti Fine Art Gallery
132 S.W. 15th Street (McNab Road), Pompano Beach, FL
954.247.9580
Galerie Jenner
1310 S.W. Second Court, Ft. Lauderdale, FL
954.609.7009
Miami Art League
9709 NE 2nd Avenue, Miami Shores, FL
305.904.2253
My personal website: www.kundeart.com
All Florida Competition and Exhibition
60th Annual All Florida Juried Competition and Exhibition
June 29 - September 11, 2011
As the state’s oldest annual juried competition, over the years, the Museum’s All Florida has introduced the work of thousands of Florida artists working in all media – emerging, under recognized, and established younger and mid-career artists. The Exhibition reinforces the Museum’s commitment to Florida artists, provides professional exhibition opportunities for emerging artists, and reveals a provocative glimpse – through Florida artists’ eyes – of the state-of-the-art today through 101 paintings, sculpture, photography, video and installations.
The juror for the 60th Annual All Florida is Valerie Ann Leeds. Ms. Leeds is an independent scholar living in New Jersey. She serves as adjunct curator of American Art at the Flint Institute of Arts, Michigan, and prior to that held curatorial positions at the Orlando Museum of Art, the Tampa Museum of Art and the Whitney Museum of American Art. She earned her M.A. at Syracuse University, and her Ph.D. in American Art at the City University of New York. Dr. Leeds is an expert on the work of Robert Henri, and has organized exhibitions, lectured and written on various topics in American Art.
The Museum once again utilized the electronic online web-service, CaFÉ, www.callforentry.org to accept all applications. This year over 1,800 artworks by 600 artists were submitted for consideration. The final exhibition entries total 101 works by the following artists:
|
Aventura Boca Raton Bonita Springs Boynton Beach Bradenton Cocoa Coconut Creek Coral Gables Coral Springs |
Deerfield Beach Delray Beach El Portal Fort Lauderdale Gainesville Gulf Stream Hollywood Jacksonville Jensen Beach Juno Beach Jupiter Lake Worth Lakeland |
Lake Worth Lantana Maitland Merritt Island Miami Miami Beach Miami Shores Naples Ocean Ridge Okeechobee Orlando Ormond Beach Palm Beach Gardens Parkland |
Port Orange St. Augustine St. Petersburg Sarasota Southwest Ranches Sunrise Stuart Tamarac Tampa Tequesta Vero Beach The Villages West Palm Beach Weston |
Art View
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/citylink/sfl-fresh-art-ernesto-kunde-20110608,0,3450526.story
“Sin,” one of his first such paintings, was created for The Black Heart, an anti-Valentine’s Day exhibition atRossetti Fine Art in Pompano Beach, and became the brochure image for the show. The mostly black-and-white work, created on wood Kunde rescued from a Dumpster, depicts a man hanging from a noose. Kunde says the painting represents a family man who couldn’t afford to pay the bills.
“Revolution Narrative” is a mixed-media sculpture in which the artist used acrylic and black and white charcoal on 25 panels cut from found wood to explore the danger, fear, violence, cruelty and pain some people endure for freedom. “Most of the panels connect to the revolutions in Egypt and Libya,” Kunde says. “Several of the panels depict riots in the street, the confrontation between rebels and ‘official’ military.”
One of those 25 panels, “Afraid,” depicts a bald man leaning forward, head in hands. A piece of wire mesh is nailed over the image, giving the impression that the man is imprisoned, perhaps by his own fear. Kunde says the image is meant to capture the anxiety and insecurity of people who are afraid to participate in a revolution.
“He wants a better way of life, but fears the consequences of acting,” Kunde explains. “What if he fails? We only hear or read about people who have acted, but there must be others who are struggling internally with what to do.”
"Afraid"
“Revolution Narrative” captured Best in Show at Spectrum 2011, which closed May 19 at Rossetti Fine Art.
“When he sent me an image of ‘Revolution Narrative,’ I was very impressed,” says gallery owner Tom Rossetti. “I said, ‘Now that is the direction in which you should move.’ When I saw it in person, I knew that it was the best in show. Not only were the drawings sound and well-executed, but there were 25 of them drawn and painted on wood. There were nails, wire and mesh, all incorporated into the work. All of the pieces were politically charged with depictions of war and violence.
“Then, to top it all off, he assembled the pieces into a sculpture in the round,” Rossetti continues. “The piece stands over 5 feet tall and demands attention. This is what art is — pushing the limits of the medium, making a statement and taking risks.”
"Revolution Narrative"
While Kunde’s darker works are eliciting warm responses, the process of creating them can be intense.
“Though ‘Revolution Narrative’ was shown as one piece, I think of it as a series,” Kunde explains. “I worked on it full-time for about three months. If you add in research, gathering materials, sketching and painting, it probably took over 300 hours. While working on it, I felt inspired and excited by the fact that I was trying something new. At the same time, I felt a level of intensity [from] following the news nonstop on a daily basis.”
Kunde has lightened up a bit, at least temporarily, with Tribute, a series he began painting in April. It combines the sunny colors of his children’s and landscape works with the black-and-white palette of his gloomier paintings to depict scenes from the streets of Miami. After shooting photographs that serve as a guide, he painted works such as “Lincoln Road,” “Pennsylvania Avenue” and “Causeway.” Parts are painted in black and white, while other sections are depicted in vibrant colors that depict sunlight and blue skies.
Kunde says his friends and family seem to prefer these more-accessible works. “My friends in the art world, on the other hand, have shown more interest in the darker ones,” he adds. “I guess some people like what I call pretty paintings, and other people are more interested in ones that are thought-provoking.”
"Lincoln Road"
Kunde plans to continue making both. “I’m excited about this new series, not only because it’s my first time focusing on Miami as a subject, but because I’m blending new techniques with my old style and signature use of bold colors,” Kunde says. “It’s my way of giving back to this place which has given me so much joy.”
“Afraid” will be on view in the 60th Annual All Florida Juried Competition and Exhibition, which will open June 29 and run through Sept. 11 at Boca Raton Museum of Art, 501 Plaza Real. Call 561-392-2500 or visitBocamuseum.org.