In 1952, María Martorell, an artist from the traditional Salta province in northern Argentina, travelled to Madrid and then to Paris, where she studied at the Sorbonne. After returning to Argentina, her work reflected the influence of her studies in France, particularly the sociology of art and the psychology of perception. In the mid-1960s, she designed and produced tapestries in her native Salta. Despite their economy of colours, the hexagonal shapes in Martorell’s paintings from the late 1950s produce a sense of three- dimensionality. These shapes give way first to ellipses and then to the waving bands characteristic of her work from the mid-1960s. During those years, she began producing in series, a choice undoubtedly informed by her admiration of Josef Albers. She also expanded her palette and made use of configurations such as the diptych and triptych. Painted in 1968, the diptych Ekho Dos forms part of a larger series of the same name. In this painting, the dynamic waves of vibrant colours moving across the monochrome background generate deviations on the surface. The waves extend even to the border of the canvas stretcher, yielding an effect of rhythm and motion and an overall sense of calm.
This is the first time the work of María Martorell is presented at Biennale Arte.
—Sonia Becce
