Art Lies, Volume 47, Summer 2005 Page: 118
128 p. : ill. (some col.) ; 28 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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NEW YORK( VIEW
Augusto Di Stefano
DCKT ContemporaryRetha Oliver
Somewhere there is a therapist anxious to meet San
Antonio-based artist Augusto Di Stefano. Surely his
pristine, complex drawings at DCKT Contemporary
in Chelsea speak of an obsessive-compulsive disor-
der of the first caliber. In Di Stefano's case, how-
ever, that's a compliment. With work this simple,
anything short of obsessive execution would be an
insult to the viewer. Di Stefano's precision comes
through in a series of pencil drawings that beg for
more than a cursory glance.
To take in the full effect of Di Stefano's work, it
is necessary to stand and stare-to imagine your-
self as the artist curving line over and over, around
and around. Di Stefano's conceit is the attempt to
materialize abstract concepts in two dimensions.
This particular selection of work (which largely
defies individual description by being, in the main,
untitled) plays heavily on the subconscious, with
themes that emphasize space and architecture. His
painstaking process of perfecting the line implies
a perspective rendering for a scene or structure
never created.
The only painting in the show, Behavior and
Location, is from a series of works in which
Di Stefano uses simple geometric glyphs to explore
psychological terrain-a contemplated and spe-
cific experiment that attempts to create a visual
language with a few carefully chosen, proscribed
elements. In addition to the painting, the show
featured a number of drawings in which chosen
tropes are more dimensional or at least more
figurative. Architectural forms are implied--or
more thoroughly defined-in pencil, appearing
as renditions of the spaces suggested in dreams.
One imagines the skeleton of a structure or the
possibilities of the empty space around it. That
therapist Di Stefano may someday entertain will
no doubt have a field day with these archetypal
dream houses, which elaborate on our insecurities,
leaving us to wander endlessly in an interior of
frames and joists.
Whether Di Stefano's drawings are interpreted
as serene or eerie no doubt depends on the
subconscious state of the viewer. Enthusiasm, for
example, features what may well be an architect's
study for the shelves and pallets of a warehouse.
The intention is not to show what exists; rather, it
seems to suggest, by omission of all but the barest
structure-the spaces in between that we fill by
our own expectations of what might have been or
what might yet be.Augusto Di Stefano, Untitled, 2005
Pencil on paper with thread, matteboard, Mylar,
Plexiglas, wood
181/4 x 261/4 inches
Courtesy DCKT Contemporary, New York
- I . _-
Y-S
Augusto Di Stefano, Enthusiasm (detail), 2005
Pencil on paper, thread, mylar, matboard and wood
frame
171/4 x 25 /8 inches
This work, like much of the rest of Di Stefano's
offering at DCKT, is not to be appreciated as an
image on the page. Instead, through our own imag-
ining-not just of what is missing but of imagining
the artist entrenched in his process-we replace
the artist. Examining these works, like creating
them, is a solitary and obsessive act that takes us
to layers of inner space and self-absorption.In Di Stefano's universe, every element of
presentation, including the frame, is a component
of the artwork. His list of materials includes
not just pencil, thread and matteboard but the
Plexiglas and frames as well. Di Stefano presents
many works that resemble the center pages of
books, with hand stitching running down the
gutter separating the "pages." This implicit literary
value elevates his offerings, making them seem
worthy of a second look. Di Stefano draws us in to
contemplate, to reconsider, to give his quiet, unas-
suming sketches a second chance. When we do,
we are also drawn into a contemplation of process
and intention.
A Zen-like perspective develops for the viewer
who lingers, staring with something akin to
wonder. One untitled work seems to be a care-
fully constructed wall of intricate and numerous
tiny circles that wraps around nothingness. Like
the tower that defines Behavior (model four),
the piece is simple, quizzical and unresolved.
It raises questions of occupancy; the described
space implying, in its emptiness, both the past and
the future. In this architectural trope, which we
recognize as requiring inhabitants, spaces become
ciphers for people, intentions and psyches. Di
Stefano strives for complex simplicity-a fragile
tension maintained through careful, restrained
choices and a healthy dose of obsession.118 ARTL!ES Summer 2005
111
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Bryant, John & Gupta, Anjali. Art Lies, Volume 47, Summer 2005, periodical, 2005; Houston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth228012/m1/120/: accessed April 19, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; .