Mates, 2011

Marcelo Novo  

Artist Statement:

Marcelo Novo was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He graduated as a Profesor Nacional de Bellas Artes from Escuela Nacional de Bellas Artes “Prilidiano Pueyrredon" (Buenos Aires, Argentina) and studied Painting under the direction of the Surrealist painter Roberto Aizemberg developing Automatism as a means of creation. In 1992, he moved to the United States where he received a Master's degree from the University of South Carolina and taught art at Benedict College from 1995 to 1998. His art has been exhibited in solo and group exhibitions in galleries and museums throughout the United States and abroad, including the Centro Cultural Recoleta, in Buenos Aires, Argentina; The DeLand Museum of Art in DeLand, FL.; the Cinque Gallery in New York; the Museum of Latin American Art, CA; and the South Carolina State Museum in Columbia, SC. In addition, his work is in public and corporate collections, including those of the South Carolina State Arts Collection, Computer Science Corporation, the Contemporary Carolinas Collection of the Medical University of South Carolina, and the White House Christmas Ornaments Collection. Mr. Novo is the recipient of numerous awards and honors; has received grants from the South Carolina Arts Commission; and was a scholar-in-residence in the Faculty Resource Network Summer Program at New York University. He lives and works in Alexandria, VA.

Artist's Statement
“Like a musician playing by ear and improvising as he goes, my art begins not
with cautious preliminary sketches but working directly on the chosen surface
and completing a work in one sitting. When I begin, I never know what will
manifest itself. I start by doodling and when I feel as though things are
happening, I follow. I choose materials that let me work quickly. When
finished, I don't go back and re-work it. This approach allows a more
spontaneous and intuitive way of creating art.
My art has its roots in Latin American and European Surrealism, a movement
that believes art holds the key to unlock the inner workings of the mind, and
reveals aspects of the psyche otherwise hidden. Diverse recurrent symbols
appear in my work as manifestations of my life experiences, some of which are
closely related to my Latin American cultural heritage."

Education:

MA Art Studio. University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina.

National Professor of Fine Arts. Area of concentration: Printmaking. National School of Fine Arts, Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Awards & Distinctions:

2007 Best in Show award, “The Connection", a juried traveling exhibition showcasing the connection between South Carolina and the island of Barbados. Organized by The South Carolina National Heritage Corridor

2000 Semi Finalist for the ArtLink@Sotheby's International Young Art 2001 Program.

2000/98/94 Multicultural Grant Award. South Carolina Arts Commission which receives support from the National Endowment for the Arts, Columbia, SC.

1998/97/95 Scholar-in residence, Faculty Resource Network Summer Program, New York University, New York City, NY.

Exhibitions:

2018 “Trivial Surrealities", IDB Staff Association Art Gallery, Washington, DC (solo)

2011-12 “Parallel Worlds" solo-exhibition. Argentine Embassy, Washington, DC. (solo)

2010 “Break! Artistas Latinos in South Carolina", Columbia Museum of Art. Columbia, SC.

2010 “South Carolina Artists 2010: A 2D Fine Arts Exhibition". Spartanburg Art Museum, SC.

2006 “Discovering Contemporary Art in the Carolinas", Fayetteville Museum Of Art, NC.

2001 “Latin American Graphics" . The Museum of Latin American Art, Long Beach, CA.

Professional/Teaching Experience:

Benedict College, Columbia, SC
University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC

Artistic Influences:

Roberto Aizemberg, Francis Bacon, Fernand Leger, Michaelangelo