Juan Carlos Distéfano
Acción directa III

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Artist Juan Carlos Distéfano (Argentinean, born 1933)Argentinean, born 1933

CultureArgentinean

Titles

Acción directa III
Uninterrupted Action III

Date1998

MediumReinforced polyester and epoxy resin

Dimensions128 × 118 × 118 in. (325 × 300 × 300 cm)

Credit LineMuseum purchase funded by the 2007 Latin American Experience Gala and Auction

Object number2007.1459

Not on view

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Department

Latin American Art

Object Type

SCULPTURE

DescriptionJuan Carlos Distéfano's oeuvre is characterized by the intense emotional and psychological charge with which his mostly figurative work is imbued. This impact is enhanced by the innovative technical and formal processes he employs, whether the manner in which he combines oil and tempera to create distorted paintings, or his use of reinforced polyester and lacquered epoxy resins to create sculptural pieces. The plasticity and caustic aspects of these materials mirror the attenuated themes he addresses and are fundamental in understanding the conceptual underpinnings that lie at the heart of his tortured figures. His monumental later work addresses the extent to which Christianity affects the mundane aspects of life.

ProvenanceThe artist; [Ruth Benzacar Gallery, Buenos Aires]; purchased by MFAH, 2007.
Exhibition History"Inverted Utopias: The Avant-Garde in Latin America, 1920–1970," Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, June 20–September 12, 2004.

"North Looks South: Building the Latin American Art Collection," Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, June 7–September 27, 2009.

"56th International Art Exhibition, La Bienalle di Venezia - Argentina" Pavilion at Arsenale – Sale d’Armi, Venice, May 9–November 22, 2015.

"Between Play and Grief: Selections from the Latino American Collection," Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, March 16–September 8, 2019.

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