Mateo Galvano
Acequia

May 26 - June 17, 2023

Cement drawings and works on paper and linen

Artist Statement

In regions where water is scarce, ravines are forged by rainwater flowing to lower altitudes. By reinforcing the ravines to establish irrigation ditches, or acequias, and devising a system of gates, people in desert cultures learned to control access to water. Conveyed across distances, the water is used to nourish agricultural sites, allowing civilizations to thrive. Conversely, during times of drought, or when the gates of the acequias are closed, the resulting shortage becomes a crisis for those downstream. Galvano refers to this arrangement as a metaphor for the creative process. 

In Galvano’s approach, abstract painting is the substantiation of thought experiments. The practice is a means for the mind to move in a direction away from what is known. By initiating and responding to marks, shapes, lines, and colors, Galvano enjoys the unfolding of unplanned images. Motivated by an intuitive approach to mark-making, Galvano’s practice celebrates experimentation and freedom of movement. When he works, the artist responds to regions within the composition that represent open spaces in contrast to the visually dense thickets of marks that frame them. He imagines the eye, or view, moving through the layers that compose the implied labyrinth of each image.

Biography

A multi-media artist working with painting, drawing, digital arts and installation, Mateo Galvano’s recent awards include residency fellowships at Ucross Foundation, Willapa Bay AiR, and Jentel Foundation. His work has been exhibited in solo shows nationally, including the Kennedy Museum of Art at Ohio University in Athens, OH; Box Gallery and Chiaroscuro Contemporary Art in Santa Fe, NM; Mainsite Contemporary in Norman, OK; Muse Gallery in Columbus, OH; and Aumonerie Saint Jacques in Gordes, France. He has participated in numerous group shows. The recipient of an MFA in Studio Art from Ohio University, Galvano is a lecturer and administrator at Ohio University School of Art + Design.

Website: mateogalvano.com
Instagram: @mateogalvano