Skip to content

Luis Camnitzer

El Museo del Barrio

February 2–May 29, 2011

This Is a Mirror, You Are a Written Sentence (1966-1968)

This Is a Mirror, You Are a Written Sentence (1966-1968)
Vacuum formed polystyrene
19.06h x 24.61w x 0.59d in (48.41h x 62.51w x 1.5d cm)

Rubber Stamps (1967)

Rubber Stamps (1967)
Ink pad, and paper pad mounted on aluminum on wood
19h x 24w x 3.5d in (48.26h x 60.96w x 8.89d cm)

Living Room (1968)

Living Room (1968)
Offset on paper and folded portfolio box
5.12h x 27.12w x 14.57d in (13h x 68.88w x 37.01d cm)

Library (1968-1973) Rubber stamp on paper

Library (1968-1973)
Rubber stamp on paper
20.47h x 27.36w in (51.99h x 69.49w cm)

Envelope, in 10 parts (1967)

Envelope, in 10 parts (1967)
Etching with rubber stamp ink on paper
16.14h x 13.58w in (41h x 34.49w cm)

Envelope, in 10 parts (1967)

Envelope, in 10 parts (1967)
Etching with rubber stamp ink on paper
16.14h x 13.58w in (41h x 34.49w cm)

Envelope, in 10 parts (1967)

Envelope, in 10 parts (1967)
Etching with rubber stamp ink on paper
16.14h x 13.58w in (41h x 34.49w cm)

Envelope, in 10 parts (1967)

Envelope, in 10 parts (1967)
Etching with rubber stamp ink on paper
16.14h x 13.58w in (41h x 34.49w cm)

Envelope, in 10 parts (1967)

Envelope, in 10 parts (1967)
Etching with rubber stamp ink on paper
16.14h x 13.58w in (41h x 34.49w cm)

Envelope, in 10 parts (1967)

Envelope, in 10 parts (1967)
Etching with rubber stamp ink on paper
16.14h x 13.58w in (41h x 34.49w cm)

Envelope, in 10 parts (1967)

Envelope, in 10 parts (1967)
Etching with rubber stamp ink on paper
16.14h x 13.58w in (41h x 34.49w cm)

Envelope, in 10 parts (1967)

Envelope, in 10 parts (1967)
Etching with rubber stamp ink on paper
16.14h x 13.58w in (41h x 34.49w cm)

Envelope, in 10 parts (1967)

Envelope, in 10 parts (1967)
Etching with rubber stamp ink on paper
16.14h x 13.58w in (41h x 34.49w cm)

Horizon (1968) Etching

Horizon (1968)
Etching
25.98h x 24.8w in (65.99h x 62.99w cm)

Self Portrait (1968)

Self Portrait (1968)
Etching
61h x 58.7w in (154.94h x 149.1w cm)

Shape Determined By the Connection of the External Points of the Text Describing the Shape (1972-1974)

Shape Determined By the Connection of the External Points of the Text Describing the Shape (1972-1974)
Brass object, engraved brass plaque, glass and wood
13.78h x 9.88w x 1.97d in (35h x 25.1w x 5d cm)

Painting Under Hypnosis (1980)

Painting Under Hypnosis (1980)
Photographs and texts on paper
10.6h x 8.7w in (26.92h x 22.1w cm)

Landscape as an Attitude (1979)

Landscape as an Attitude (1979)
Silver gelatin photograph, Edition of 5 with 1 AP
9.5h x 13.13w in (24.13h x 33.35w cm)

The Discovery of Geometry (1981)

The Discovery of Geometry (1981)
Photoetching
29.92h x 22.32w in (76h x 56.69w cm)

Silence/Repression (1976) Ink on paper

Silence/Repression (1976)
Ink on paper
21.7h x 27.6w in (55.12h x 70.1w cm)

The Book of Time (El Libro del Tiempo) (1972/2010)

The Book of Time (El Libro del Tiempo) (1972/2010)
Candles and pencil on wall
36.02h x 77.56w x 1.38d in (91.49h x 197w x 3.51d cm)

The Optics Lesson (1891/2010)

The Optics Lesson (1891/2010)
Candle, light bulb, lens, and pencil on wall

Compass (2003) Inkjet print

Compass (2003)
Inkjet print
39.41h x 35.63w in (100.1h x 90.5w cm)

Dictionary 1 (1969)

Dictionary 1 (1969)
Etching
26.3h x 25.2w in (66.8h x 64.01w cm)

Dictionary 2 (1970)

Dictionary 2 (1970)
Etching
17.72h x 17.52w in (45.01h x 44.5w cm)

Dictionary 3 (1970)

Dictionary 3 (1970)
Etching
25.2h x 24.41w in (64.01h x 62w cm)

Sentences, Adhesive Labels for #1 Mail Exhibition of New York Graphic Workshop (1966-1967)

Sentences, Adhesive Labels for #1 Mail Exhibition of New York Graphic Workshop (1966-1967)
Offset
4.25h x 5.59w in (10.8h x 14.2w cm)

Press Release

Luis Camnitzer Retrospective
Organized by Daros Latinamerica, Zurich
Curated by Hans-Michael Herzog and Katrin Steffen
El Museo del Barrio
New York, NY

Part of El Museo's FOCOS series, which highlights groundbreaking, mature, yet underrecognized artists, this traveling retrospective highlights three decades of work by Uruguayan conceptual artist and writer Luis Camnitzer.

Born in 1937 in Germany, raised in Uruguay, and working in New York for the past three decades, Camnitzer creates works in a variety of media - including installation, printmaking, drawing, and photography—that breaks down limitations and questions that define the center versus the periphery. Select works of Camnitzer deal with explicitly political content; however, he states that all his works are deeply political, "in the sense of wanting to change society." His approach to Conceptualism often utilizes language to underscore issues of power and commodification, exploring the relationship between images, objects, and texts.

Terse, metaphysical, and often wry, his simple yet powerful art elicits unexpected associations through its poetic lyricism.