NEW YORK, NY.- Lu Magnus presents Ar, a solo exhibition by Tofer Chin, featuring new paintings, photographs, and sculpture continuing his exploration of geologically and architecturally inspired Minimalist forms.
Continuing his observations of urban and natural landscapes, Tofer Chin documents patterns and forms, such as architectural facades in São Paulo and the rock formations of Bryce Canyon. He is an investigator of architecture in his travels all over the world - Los Angeles, Utah, Arizona, Mexico City, Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Barcelona, Amsterdam, New York—culling images and patterns inspired by the cities. Chin transmutes these patterns into Minimalist forms, one of which is seen in his signature stalagmite sculptures. The geometric construction of his works is based on mathematical calculations, with titles simply describing the sum of its constituent parts: number, color, and form. His works are a window into a psychological space, as each piece is based on the keyhole perspective, seeing only a portion of the whole picture.
Translated from Portuguese, "Ar", meaning "air", speaks to the fluid movement between natural and man made environments. This new body of work builds upon Chin's Minimalist practice, his geometric expression, and the keyhole perspective, yet breaks open the form and creates more breathable space. Chin's negative spaces, or his "air", take on new importance encouraging viewers to visually step into his works.
While his practice traverses photography, sculpture, painting, and installation, Chin is first and foremost a painter. His new large-scale paintings (60 x 90 inches) feature a minimal color scheme of black, white and unpainted raw canvas. From afar, the surfaces look pristine, but upon closer inspection, the mark of the artist is more visible with distinct brushstrokes and layers of paint. Perhaps Chin's boldest reference to "air", his sections of unpainted, raw canvas carry as much visual weight as the painted areas mass is meaningless without the void.
A native of Los Angeles, Tofer Chin was born in 1979 and graduated from Otis College of Art and Design in LA. His work, Fourteen Black, has been seen in Parque Lage, the largest public park in Rio de Janeiro, as well as in São Paulo, where he was commissioned to do a large-scale permanent installation. As a member of ROJO® NOVA, Chin has exhibited at the Museum of Image and Sound in São Paulo in 2010, at the Rojo Art Space in Milan in 2009, and the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia in Madrid in 2008. With past solo shows in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Barcelona, and New York City, Ar is his second solo exhibition with Lu Magnus. Chin's works were most recently exhibited at The Standard West Hollywood and at UNTITLED, Miami Beach, curated by Omar Lopez-Chaoud. Tofer Chin currently divides his time between Los Angeles and São Paulo.
