Once You Know All The Rules, You Are Ready To Break Them.
Exploring the kinetic universe of Andres Ciccone.
My first encounter with op art happened when I was around 10 years old. My parents gave me a book of Victor Vasarely and even though I was far from knowing the notions of this movement I remember spending hours looking through its pages, obsessed with the shapes, colors and optical illusions.
Op art and kinetic art (abstract movements that play with geometric forms and color to create optical effects), as every other artistic manifestation, have evolved since their beginnings in the early sixties, paving the way since then to countless artists from different disciplines, aiming them to explore and be creative through different textures, colors, lights and materials.
Born in Venezuela and currently based in New York, Andres Ciccone has devoted his professional journey to both kinetic and op art through painting, sculpture and even furniture. His previous experiences living in South America and cities such as Berlin and Lisbon, allowed him to develop that colorful, dynamic and authentic style that characterizes his work today.
We talked to Ciccone about pictorial styles, connecting with artworks, cities and more.
“King of the migraines”, 213x121 cm or 83x 47 inches. Acrylic, Ink , mixed mediums, on canvas. Miami, 2021.
Photo via Instagram: @andresciccone
We The Cool: Your work resides between kinetic art and op-art. Do you remember the exact moment when you decided to immerse yourself in these two artistic movements?
Andrés Ciccone: That’s right, my work relies in these two styles as they both are what I used to see at my place when I was a kid. They were actually the first artistic styles that I ever met. My hometown, Venezuela, as well as Latin America in general has a lot of kinetic influence thanks to the masters that worked on the development of this movement. So I guess it was a very organic process for me to understand what I liked.
WTCM: Have you ever explored other pictorial styles?
AC: I did explore other styles like figurative painting but the truth is that I have always felt more comfortable mixing the geometric abstract movement with kinetic and op-art.
WTCM: You studied at The Academy of Art and Design of Caracas and later on, in the Academy of Arts in Berlin. How did these two cities –being so different from each other– influenced in the development of your current style?
AC: It’s true that even though these two capitals are so different, they are at the same time very similar. For me, moving to Germany and understanding the European mindset was a whole new thing. While studying in Venezuela, I discovered that Venezuelan design is highly influenced by the Bauhaus. My school was very structured and strict regarding the geometry laws and gestalt therapy, so I decided to move to Germany to explore these movements just to find something totally different. In Berlin, there are no rules. Or better said, there are too many! But one of the things I learnt here is that once you know all the rules, you are ready to break them. It felt like I could hear Germany telling me: “All right Ciccone, thank you for showing us what you know about the fundamentals of design, now it’s time for you to do whatever you want! Break those barriers and try something newer and more organic with everything you have learnt.”
“Berlín talks”, 220 x 140 cm. Acrylic, Ink , Different Mediums Glanzend & Matt, Plywood on Canvas. 2021.
Photo via Instagram: @andresciccone
WTCM: We can tell you did! And how about your experience in Lisbon?
AC: Lisboa Mulata! Saudades! Lisbon is a beautiful city, full of wonderful people that opened me all the doors. I think it’s the perfect city for retirement. It’s so small and cozy and that’s why you feel so good when living there, even though it can be a little bit conservative regarding contemporary art and emergent international artists. I had to travel very often to Berlin or Madrid for a change of scenery and to find some inspiration. And it was not that Lisbon didn’t inspire me, not at all. It was just that I was used to Caracas and Berlin, two cities very energetic, chaotic and with information overload. So for me, Lisbon is the perfect combination of landscapes and beaches where I can relax but also of chaos.
I always say: “Live once in Berlin, but escape before you toughen up. Live in Lisbon once, but escape before you get soft.”
WTCM: What role does rhythm, space, colors and equilibrium play in your work?
AC: My work is based in movement, the perspective of objects in space and in some cases some figurative characters (but very abstract as well) are born. Almost as if they wanted to be geometric objects. I studied graphic design in Caracas and I had the opportunity to learn from great teachers about the psychology of design and how to play with perspective on a plan.
WTCM: How important is it for you to explore through different types of materials and textures?
AC: In my work, I don’t only try to look for the beautiful but for the most different and the innovative. I like combining different styles. When looking at a piece, I like to add new materials such as gels and sand. Some pieces would have textures or an acrylic print. It’s not only about the artwork having a particular style but that we can touch it, smell it and that it has movement or even change its color depending on the angle you observe it. I think that’s my biggest obsession during my process.
“Highboard”. 150x47x95 cm. Pine and Cherry wood. In collaboration with @linie.furniture & @cabana.studio.
Photo via Instagram: @andresciccone
WTCM: How do you explain the optic and kinetic experience that your works transmits?
AC: For me, one of the biggest art satisfaction is when a work has movement, perspective or the property of changing colors. Of course I like it when you can feel in a different way a figurative piece even though you don’t know the concept yet. That has happened to me many times when looking at the paintings of figurative German artists Otto Dix or Jonas Burgert. But what catches my attention the most is when an abstract geometric work can communicate you something or send you a message through movement and colors. So that’s what I am always looking for: the different, that corner, that shadow that generates movement, those colores…
WTCM: What international and Latin American artists can we find in your daily Instagram feed?
AC: I follow a lot of galleries and I am always looking for the new wave of artists that are really creating something different in the art world. If I had to choose top ten I would include Georges Condo, Nathaniel Mary Quinn, Jonni Cheatwood, Elias Crespin, Genesis Tramaine, Robert Moreland, Ivana De Vivanco, Arghavan Khosravi, Jonny Niesche, Johanne Greenbaum.
WTCM: We know that you recently moved to New York for an art residency. Is there an exciting upcoming project that you would like to share with us?
AC: I am doing a residency with Tuleste Factory, a gallery in Chelsea. We are planning a solo show in NYC on November 17th and I am very excited about it. We will be presenting nine pieces in different formats.
“Anti-Neo-Post Woman”. 200x170 cm. Acrylic, ink, mediums.
Photo via Instagram: @andresciccone