Alberto Delmonte

By Proffesor Guillermo Whitelow

Member of the Argentine and International Art Critics Association. October, 1994.

At present, Delmonte can look back on his career with no surprises, except for those that occur to any creative mind faced with the magnetic void that opens before his imagination, in silent contrast to the inner fullness that struggles to emerge. Undoubtedly, over the years, his measured and reflexive pace has yielded its fruit in his work, outstanding for its coherence in both the formative period as well as in the phase that came later. His ability to identify with what is native to America gives him the necessary inspiration to express a world that is already his own.

His first steps were not in the circles of art schools: instead he sought out the masters he admired, those with whom he felt an affinity. One of them was Marcos Tiglio, with whom he learned the technical foundations that would allow him to give shape to his early artistic expressions. Later, in 1956, at Carlos de la Cárcova's studio, and following the accomplished sculptor's advise, he matured freely. His interests would also take him into the theoretical field, eager for Héctor Cartier's teachings, avid to learn the history of art with Julio Payró, and to study philosophy and pre-Columbian cultures.

Those experiences, both artistic and intellectual, were the steps that he would climb, ever curious, intelligent and inquisitive, toward a fusion that would be fundamental for his future development. A trip made originally for family reasons to Montevideo in 1961 put him in contact with Torres García's followers, and from that point on, he was to grow closer to this great painter's ideas that, with his "constructivism" theory, influenced a pleiad of artists that venerate his name.

Once Delmonte was established in his endeavor, his only wish was to experience things with greater depth, seeking to heed, almost viscerally, the call of the American land, its people and their struggle, their relationship with the hereafter, their myths, and, in sum, with the very rich plastic expression that all of this encompasses.

As a result of this interest came the formation, in 1989, of “Eye of the River”, a group he founded, along with artists Julián Agosta, Adrián Dorado and Adolfo Nigro. The endeavor produced an artistic publication of the same name and with an Americanist approach. The journal which collected the works of prestigious art critics and thinkers, eager to recover, through the arts and literature, what they understood to be native originality, disfigured or annulled by the comings and goings of colonization. Delmonte's main concern was to invoke a vision of the world, and consequently, one of a culture with clearly defined features.

It is worth quoting some of Delmonte's words as they appear in the second issue of that publication. In the section on “being original and returning to the source”, he explains that it is not the group's intention to mimic the images of native repertoire, as this would be a mere formality. “On the contrary, it is an attempt to return to the source, following the keys of a South American line of thought, its relationship with nature, with others and with the Universe”. He also points out that the archaic must not be understood as something distant in time. One should go back to the etymology (arkhé) and consider it as “the beginning”. “It is the place of the archetypal, in other words, the place at which all new events or cultural processes can be initiated”.

If we keep referring to these quotes, it is because they provide an important means of understanding Delmonte's paintings. Let us see, for example, what he says about symbolism. He sees it as “a possibility for holiness, for transcending and, from there. going back to its old meaning of union, a bridge that links the subject with the absolute”. To a great extent this is true, although it is advisable when approaching symbolism, to measure its scope, in order to avoid being arbitrary. One can turn, for example, to a given repertoire such as Rudolph Koch's inventory. In his work “The Book of Symbols” he gathers what he calls the most common symbols-although there appear to be some 493 of them- employed since ancient times. But Delmonte dismissed this possibility and developed his own sign language (even if certain graphics are paradigmatic), a task that he concluded in 1981.

Moreover, he has always kept a supporting plan in mind, in accordance with Torres Garcia's suggestion: “The pillars that uphold a work of art are tone, line and structure”. These three elements complement each other, creating a harmonious mesh. Tone goes beyond mere color in that it entails spirituality; the line not only represents something but also gives strength to the rhythm and tension; and finally, there is structure, as an organization of form, an image of unity between man and the cosmos, through his creations.

As Delmonte progressed in the light of these teachings, he visualized two possible experiences. In a first stage he gave priority to the totemic form, organizing his composition like a stela. At that time he was interested in the density of texture along with signs reminiscent of primitive American cultures. Shortly afterward, line became the basic vector of the canvas, suggesting a direct, stripped interpretation. Both poles, texture and line, would later unite in a more profound conjunction.

This conclusion does not eliminate either of the components but fixes them in a balanced structure, that begins in the small sketches that the artist continuously elaborates as if each were a basic idea to be developed. His aim is simplicity, declaring him-self to be rather “anti-Baroque”. On those canvases on which he paints with ease, covering and covering them again, making strata appear as if at an archaeological site, we see the birth of a certain classicism. A classicism that is not far from the rigor of pottery and of ancient fabric... Delmonte is not satisfied simply with the delicate creation of the work, in a mere artistic attitude... he focuses on trying to rescue mysterious pictographs, especially from the Southern Hemisphere. He confesses: “I feel South American and of the River Plate, and my aim is to encounter that essential reality”. In other words, his effort is to offer us a decanted vision, intimate and sincere, of the pre-Columbian heritage. fragmented in the twists and turns of history, always resorting to the freedom of abstract art in the fluency of his oils.

Translation: Edward Shaw