Alejandro Puente

Alejandro Puente (La Plata, 1933–Buenos Aires, 2013) studied Theory of Vision with Héctor Cartier. In La Plata, he was part of Grupo Si, with his gestural paintings. He soon reoriented his poetics towards sensitive geometry and, in 1967, he exhibited primary structures against the backdrop of the Advanced Art Week organized by Instituto Torcuato Di Tella. He was awarded the Guggenheim Fellowship, joined New York avant-garde and participated in Information (The Museum of Modern Art, New York, 1970). After making a plastic arts proposal related to the pre-Hispanic cosmovision, he continued working in Argentina since 1971. In 1985 he participated in the 18ª Bienal de São Paulo, Brazil. During this period he was a professor at Escuela Superior de Bellas Artes “Ernesto de la Cárcova”. He gained many recognitions, among the latest are: First Prize at Salón Telecom Argentina (1995), First Prize at Salón Banco de la Provincia de Buenos Aires (1999), Grand Prize at Salón Nacional de Pintura (2001), Konex Award (2002), Gold Harlequin Prize, Fundación Pettoruti (2002) and the Rosario Prize, Fundación Castagnino (2003). In 2007 he painted a mural, “Homenaje al artista artesano” (Tribute to the Artisan Artist), at Museo de Arte Popular “José Hernández”. He was named “Distinguished Citizen of the Province of Buenos Aires ” (2008), Full Member of Academia Nacional de Bellas Artes, curator of the “Ojo al País” project and member of the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes Advisory Board. As a tribute to Puente’s teaching work, Museo de Calcos y Escultura Comparada “Ernesto de la Cárcova” organized the Alejandro Puente exhibition from March to May 2014. Huellas sensibles (Sensitive Prints), curated by Cristina Rossi. Espacio de Arte de Fundación OSDE will host the Alejandro Puente exhibition from May to July 2015. Abstracción y tradición americana (American Tradition and Abstraction), curated by Mariana Marchesi. Puente’s work is shown in numerous public and private collections, both in Argentina and abroad.