Felipe Lopez

Precautionary Principles of the New World

May 16 through July 11, 2020

Deborah Colton Gallery is pleased to present Precautionary Principles of the New World, featuring works by Houston artist, Felipe Lopez. With this international debut of four new and relevant bodies of works, Lopez encapsulates on nature and the current human condition through drawings, paintings, video, sculptures, and installation. The exhibition, which is from May 16 to July 11, can be seen online through the gallery’s Viewing Room. Installation and artwork images can be seen through the gallery’s Virtual Slide Show and website. All works are available for acquisition. Interest in specific artworks can be addressed by email, phone or “By Appointment” at Deborah Colton Gallery.

Felipe Lopez, who mixes art with science in relation to the human condition, has been breaking new ground this past year with record speed. Lopez was featured in the 2019 Houston Sculpture Month, Outta Space with two major installations, Spatio Aquarum and Perseus in Andromeda’s Galaxy. A 90-minute film series, Visual Voyage: Videos and Music by Felipe Lopez and Meghan Hendley of Chapel in the Sky is tentatively set to debut in early June at Anthology Film Archives in NYC. Lopez also plans to participate in the School of Visual Arts Bio Art Lab Residency Program when their dates are finalized. A well-read artist of intellect, Lopez’s work reflects on issues that we as a human race must address.

Within the complexities of modern society, there are now more than ever precautionary principles that require much thought. In one of Lopez’s new series, For the Greater Hive, honeycomb shapes symbolize the infrastructure of our economy and the industries that carry the weight of what makes our society able to function. The arrows, once again symbols of man-made detriments, disrupt the hive, but have a symbol of hope sprouting. Seeing that flowers are a perfect replica of human life, they help mirror the resilience, innovation, and shift the viewer to what is beautiful in moments of pure humanity.

In Natural Tendencies, Lopez shapes an ensnarement of dirt and flowers within a fabricated mold. These artworks reveal the essence of nature within a symbolic blockade that mimic both beauty and the confinement of biology in its most basic state.

The sculptural work in Purification Systems layer nature’s identity and method of purifying water. The amount of water filling the tubes is equivalent to the average amount of water in a human’s body. Visualizing the strength in these natural materials and their processes can help identify them as creative life forms.

To Create A Diamond centers around the pressure it takes to make a diamond and the repetition of said pressure. The repetitive changes and forces of that pressure are revealed in the artworks, with the harmonious video further helping the viewer to contemplate about a sense of self in relation to the world and to the future. This steadfast pressure that it takes to create a diamond can symbolize a daily, meditative process which can help humans build resiliency, balance, and strength inorder to endure the challenges within the current world.

The works presented in Precautionary Principles of The New World address the delicate relationship between our economy, environment, and ethos. Each series offers a step outside a field of thought and opens new dialogues.

Deborah Colton Gallery is founded on being an innovative showcase for ongoing presentation and promotion of strong historical and visionary contemporary artists world-wide, whose diverse practices include painting, works on paper, sculpture, video, photography, performance, conceptual future media and public space installations. The Gallery aspires to provide a forum through connecting Texas, national and international artists to make positive change.