Raphael Montañez O.

Raphael Montañez O

New York, United States, 1934. Lives and works in New Jersey, United States.

Ritual, coincidence, duality, transcendence, humanism, acting, gesture, religion and history are the themes that the artist has addressed through his work. Since the beginning of his career, perhaps his most important concern has been the practice of the avant-garde. He worked on the margins of cultural production creating non-artistic objects such as household items, which he would discard in a de-construction process. Although interested in avant-garde movements such as Dada and Fluxus, the readings in psychology and anthropology influenced him most and acted as the link between his first series of archaeological findings and his interest in the perceptions of the unconscious mind.

Destruction Room | Destrucción de mobiliario y objetos extraños con participación de la audiencia | 233.7 x 439.4 x 294.6 cm | 1988

Destruction Room | 233.7 x 439.4 x 294.6 cm | Destruction of strange furniture and objects with participation from the audience | 1988

Monument to Buchenwald | Papel, lodo, zapatos quemados, pintura negra sobre soporte de madera | 76.2 x 71.1 x 17.8 cm | 1961

Monument to Buchenwald | 76.2 x 71.1 x 17.8 cm | Paper, mud, burnt shoes and black paint on wooden surface | 1961

«He incorporated Native American elements into the process of deconstruction, underlining his awareness of indigenous cultural practice and its possibilities as a model for contemporary aesthetics.»

Ortiz incorporated Native American elements into the process of deconstruction, underlining his awareness of indigenous cultural practice and its possibilities as a model for contemporary aesthetics. In the creation of his first cinematographic works from the end of the 50s, he cuts a movie into pieces while singing. Placing the pieces in a medicine bag, he then arbitrarily removed each piece and spliced them together in a totally random fashion. In his film work of the early 80's, the artist used an Apple computer connected to a laser disc player. He scratched the laser disk, creating a stuttering image and a disconnection between time and space.

Orgy of Prayer | Velas, pintura negra y cartón prensado | 83.8 x 91.4 cm | 1960

Orgy of Prayer | 83.8 x 91.4 cm | Pressed candles, black paint and card board | 1960

Petrified Forest #1 | Ciruelas secas clavadas en dos capas de cartón | 1962

Petrified Forest #1 | Dried plums nailed into to layers of card board | 1962

Physio-Psycho-Alchemy | 1986

Physio-Psycho-Alchemy | 1986

Nailed Marshmellows |Malvaviscos quemados clavados

Nailed Marshmallows | 4.5 x 18.5 x 17 7/8 inches Box: 7 1/8 x 19 1/4 x 19 inches | Burnt marshmallows nailed on wooden backing | 1964

 C-Print Ralph Ortíz |Piano Destruction Concert, New York City | 1967 | The Destructivist Manifesto | Ralph Ortiz | 1957-1962 (Manuscrito, 4 páginas) C-print: 25.3 x 20.3 cm | Destructivism. A Manifesto |  26 x 21.6 cm | The Destructivist Manifesto | 25.2 x 20.3 cm c/pág | 2011

C-Print Ralph Ortíz | Piano Destruction Concert | New York City, 1967 | The Destructivist Manifesto, Ralph Ortiz | 1957-1962 | (Manuscript, 4 pages) | C-print: 9.96 x 7.99 inches | Destructivism. A Manifesto: 10.24 x 8.5 inches | The Destructivist Manifesto: 9.92 x 7.99 inches e/sheet | 2011

C-Print | Piano Destruction, NYC, c.1967 | Detalle # 11 Firmada al reverso | 2011

C-Print | Piano Destruction | NYC, c.1967 | Detail # 11 (Signed on the back) | 2011

Vintage print: Destruction Theater | 1969 | Hollywood, CA. at Ace Gallery | 1969 | Fotografía por Irwin Glaser | 2011

Vintage print: Destruction Theater | 1969 | Hollywood, CA. at Ace Gallery 1969 | (Photograph by Irwin Glaser) | 2011

Henny Penny Piano Destruction | New York City, 1967 | 2011

Vintage Print: Henny Penny | Piano Destruction | New York City, 1967 | 2011

Piano destruction concert: Dada con Mama | Instalación Piano intervenido, hachas, madera

Piano destruction concert: Dada con Mama | (Installation) | Inverted piano, axes, wood, metal, plastic and kosher salt | Varied dimensions | 2014

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