Antonio Tarsis. Spring clouds fire

About

Page is pleased to present Antonio Tarsis, the New York debut of the Brazilian born artist. Tarsis’ new works juxtapose the geometric precision of modernist abstraction rendered through meticulously arranged matchboxes with the kaleidoscopic exuberance of expressionistic fruit box constructions. At first glance, these canvases appear worlds apart, yet beneath the surface, a profound interconnection begins to emerge.

In Tarsis’ latest series, symbolism in everyday life unfolds, as he delicately weaves together the seemingly disparate worlds of matchboxes and ripe fruits. These common staples float around the backdrop of his memories of his upbringing in Salvador, the vibrant capital of Bahia in Brazil, where his family worked as fruit vendors. Tarsis’ work transcends mere aestheticism, processing his ruminations into poetic assemblages of found objects.

Tarsis collects and compiles materials into improvisational collages that unite both series, yet create varying compositional and chromatic results. Signature purple matchboxes are taken apart, folded, and slotted into grids. The pigmented balsa wood packaging is cladded with a naturalistic monochrome varnishing. While fruit shapes from cardboard cargo are incised and arranged in organic structures layered with black paper. The highly saturated printed graphics from these produce boxes are camouflaged with burnt and textured tissue.

The matchsticks, neatly ensconced within their packaging, bear witness to the ravages of deforestation, a consequence of humanity's relentless pursuit of resource extraction. Each stick is a silent testament to the ecological toll exacted by our voracious appetite for development. Conversely, the boxes of fruit, bursting with vivid hues and tantalizing aromas, evoke a sense of natural abundance. Lands once teeming with ancient forests, now replaced by monoculture plantations, are emblematic of our propensity to reshape the natural world to suit our desires.

In Tarsis’ practice, the veneer of artifice is stripped away, revealing a profound inversion of perception. What is truly natural – the processed matchboxes or the untamed vitality of the unadulterated fruits? Tarsis’ work challenges us to ponder the essence of authenticity in a world where the boundaries between nature and artifice grow increasingly blurred.