(Left) Some of Alfredo Haleguas' paintings that
are part of "Against the Wall",
(Right) Ambassador Hugo Fernandez-Faingold and
the artist during the opening reception.
Alfredo Halegua: Artist Profile
Halegua’s
approach to sculpture is one of exploring new uses of
three-dimensional concepts and their application to
different functions. His work is monumental in scale,
environmental and, some times, participatory in nature.
These objects are intended to complement and enhance the
urban landscape, inviting people to participate in the
aesthetic experience. They include fountains, earthworks and
urban design, where Halegua is most comfortable, working in
monumental scale. Wolf Von Eckart wrote in The Washington
Post: “Alfredo Halegua makes large, wonderfully simple,
public sculptures. He also made a sculpture of Pennsylvania
Avenue. Not only a work of art, it is also a work of
sensible urban design”…”His work represents the triumph of
individual creation over committee work.”
His art evolved
from his profound knowledge of the craft and his rigorous
training, arriving through various stages, to the
geometrical abstractions he now employs. Art critic Benjamin
Forgey of The Washington Post wrote: “…if there is one word
to describe the space defined by these large, monumental
pieces, the word is architectonic. The ingenuity of
volumetric relationships is impressive. Impressive and
tricky. One must walk around these sculptures, and in the
walking, there are surprises. They are intriguing
architectonic inventions.”
Halegua is a
master woodcarver, is versed in all the casting and welding
techniques and has pioneered in the use of plastics for
sculpture since 1962. He has written extensively about art,
receiving several major awards for his sculptures as well as
his writings. He was also an inspiring professor of
sculpture at American University in Washington, DC.
In 1969 Halegua
exhibited his concepts of sculpture-buildings at the Henri
Gallery in Washington, DC, anticipating the current
architectural trend of designing buildings with a sculptural
approach. Douglas Davis, art critic for Arts Magazine, said:
“Alfredo Halegua, who has been dealing with larger and
larger forms in his sculpture for some time, took a crucial
step into architecture, merging function and imagination,
for once, satisfactorily”.
Halegua has had
numerous one-man shows in Museums and galleries in the US
and abroad, and has participated in over 200 group
exhibitions nationally and internationally in such places as
the Rodin Museum in Paris and the Kongresshalle in Berlin,
among many others. He has received 15 major awards and
honors, including first prizes, gold, silver and bronze
medals. His works are included in 33 major Museums and
Public Places in the US and abroad, including The National
Gallery of Art in Washington, DC, The Kennedy Center for the
Performing Arts, as well as many important national and
international private collections.
Halegua’s
critical acclaim is exemplified by comments like those of
Paul Richard in the Washington Post. He writes: “Unlike the
work of other contemporary geometrical sculptors, like
Donald Judd or Tony Smith, Halegua’s work has about it a
mood of elegance, of tradition polished and refined. He is
without question one of our finest sculptors…”
These new works
show another facet of Halegua’s versatile personality. In
this exhibition he explores the use of color in large-scale
canvasses and monochrome graphic designs composed of
multiple interrelated parts.
