The Art Of Fernando Carpaneda

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The Artist

The Artist: statement, exhibitions, books, collections and museums

New York-based artist Fernando Carpaneda, has participated in important international art exhibitions including: Bridge Art Fair / Art Basel-Miami 2008, has works in the permanent collections of The Museum of Sex and The Leslie Lohman Gay Art Foundation in New York, The Erotic Heritage Museum in Las Vegas among others. Carpaneda is represented internationally by The kymara Gallery and MF Gallery and is part of the Anté Art Movement led by Billy Name (Andy Warhol Superstars). Carpaneda is an artist born in Brasília, Brazil. He works with clay sculptures. His main theme is always the human being. He watches people in the streets, bars, concerts, and places where people sell their bodies. Fernando makes portraits of rent boys, punks, junkies, thieves and outcasts. Instead of attaching himself to muses, he focuses on male nudes to compose his art pieces, having the human being, the masculine, as the main goal in his work. All his portraits are like a relic, a holy place, a moment caught in time. He uses objects that have a connection to the portrayed person to composing his work, such as cigarette butts, condoms, beer cans, underwear, semen, empty toothpaste boxes. In other words, things that are part of these people's real world, and his own. He uses such objects and remains as a beginning for his portraits. Clay is used as technique. He uses it the same way it was used in the 17th Century (for painting baroque saint images). He even dresses his sculptures with cloth from his own clothes. He creates and sews all the clothing that is used in the pieces. He also includes human hair to some of the pieces, his own hair (this was very often done in the 17th Century), and a current relic that has its value in time, as to maintain a time, ordinary people who lived it. Fernando writes about his pieces using street language as a background, another urban element often used. His connection to the artwork is important to any creative process. He believes that the artist himself is a piece of art. He has been going to places where the portrayed people use to go for the past 27 years. Remembrances are part of his work. Every little thing is part of him: his lovers, his disappointments, his experiences with drugs, his life in the streets, and so forth. Fernando depends on all of this to create art; he does not exist without these people.

Books

The Angel in Boots: A life of paint, sex and rock & roll
"Portuguese book-english version is coming soon!"

"The Angel in Boots: A life of paint, sex and rock & roll" is the autobiography of New York-based artist Fernando Carpaneda released recently in the US. The book has fallen like a bomb in the Brazilian conservative art scene and also abroad. The book tells a history of an underground Brazilian artist, originally from the suburbs of Brasilia, Brazil's capital and finds fame and prestige worldwide after exhibiting his work at CBGB`s Gallery in New York City. Carpaneda describes in rich details his underground life experiences from places where he lived - Brasilia, Sao Paulo, London and New York, the latter where he still resides- and his relationship with drugs, love e sex. Inspired in music, his life can was conducted from the sounds of Ramones to Boy George. Andre Pomba - a DJ and editor from one of the main rock magazines in Brazil- reviews the introduction of the book as "A very good way for finding out how the Sao Paulo's night life habitants adopted Carpaneda. As an example, Georgia, a transsexual that he met and lived with when he was still a young boy called Henrique, habitué from the 90's clubbing scene in Sao Paulo; as the places they used to hang out: Retro, Madame Sata, Treibhaus and Massivo; and also his love and hate relationship with Brasilia and vice-versa. Carpaneda's life story in Brasilia is something that reminds an road movie, like Sid and Nancy in a Brazilian way - we would say Tupiniquim* - without the tragic ending, although he got close to death a few times. Everything is written in a way that the judgement day might come and that many chapters are yet to come. With no shadows of doubt, The Angel in Boots will disturb and cause controversy to the people connected to Brazil's capital art scene and primary to those with a conservative and prejudice mind. The book brings an exciting thing: the readers will be able to chose two cover versions: one with Carpaneda totally naked and the other with one of his works. The book comes with 240 pages and 26 pictures of the artist's work.

Fernando Carpaneda clay sculptures
Published by the Leslie/Lohman Gay Art Foundation - English/Portuguese bilingual book

Brazilian born Fernando Carpaneda shares his off-the-wall viewpoints of numerous topics, including punk movement, fashion,skinheads,religion,fame,creating art, and sex. The book represents one of the most important contemporary sources on Gay and Latin America Lowbrow Art scene. Born in Taguatinga, a small city in the capital of Brazil, Fernando participated in the genesis of this countries punk movement. During this time, he was arrested several times for minor disturbances and it was then when he discovered his passion for sculpting. The absolute realistic miniature sculptures are rapturous and amazing. I was stunned. The talent of Fernando’s eye is only matched by the execution with his hands bringing forth creations that will threaten your idea of real and imaginary. Surrealistic reality based construction brought to staggering heights. Every sculpture included in the book is amazing. He makes a difference in Gay and Lowbrow Art scene, more than most artists these days.



  • Todos somos um
  • Published by Fundação Armando Álvares Penteado-(FAAP), Brazil,2008


  • Brazilian Art Museum of FAAP, in partnership with the College of the Public Ministry of the Union (ESMPU), held from September 4th, in Brasilia, the exhibition "ALL WE ARE ONE". The exhibition, which includes works of art that reflect the concept of socio-cultural diversity, happens during the celebrations for the 20th anniversary of the promulgation of the Federal Constitution (which has, before the law, the principle of equality to all citizens), and it also marks the anniversary of a decade of ESMPU. Its main objective is to provide, through paintings, prints, sculptures, videos and installations, the gestures - of solidarity and discrimination - that influence the construction of the identity of each human being.The exhibition is divided into five parts: "Visual Identity", "Collective Identity", "Violence", "Pre-Concept" and "Coexistence". Each section is followed by a thought related to its subject, authored by renowned writers like Fernando Pessoa, Walt Whitman, Jean Paul Sartre and Mario Quintana. Artists like Lenilson, Gil Vicente, Fernando Carpaneda Vitor Mizael, Ricardo Ferraz, Orlandeli, among others, are represented by their works."Todos somos um" portuguese book a publishing of Fundação Armando Álvares Penteado-(FAAP) Brazil. The book include works of: Anna Bella Geiger, Brígida Baltar, Claudia Camposs, Cris Bierrenbach, Dora Longo Bahia, Fernando Carpaneda, Gil Vicente, Gilberto Vançan, Laura Rodriguez, Lázaro Moura, Lenora de Barros, Marcela Tibone, Nicholas Petrus, Orlandeli, Ricardo Ferraz, Rosana Paulino, Rosângela Rennó, Sergio Niculitcheff, Siron Franco, Vitor Mizael, Wilson Freire, Wilson Tafner. Fundação Armando Álvares Penteado-(FAAP):http://www.faap.br/english/hotsites/hotsite_somos_um/um.html




  • Treasures of Gay Art
  • Published by the Leslie/Lohman Gay Art Foundation


  • Fernando Carpaneda has two of his sculptures published in the book Treasures of Gay Art, a publishing of The Leslie Lohman Gay Art Foundation. The new book, as the unparalleled collection of conspicuously gay art debuts in print for the first time. The publication was guided by renowned curator Peter Weiermair exclusively for The Foundation. Paintings, sculptures, drawings, water colours, photographs and prints from Jean Cocteau to Andy Warhol. The book include works of Neel Bate, Keith Haring, Charles Henry Ford, Andy Warhol, Robert W. Richards, Fernando Carpaneda and many other artists.
  • Published by All Saints Press, Austria 2008
  • Standard edition: Members $45 • Non-members $65 (plus $6 shipping)
  • Deluxe edition: Members $200 • Non-members $250 (plus $13 shipping)
  • (Deluxe edition includes two original limited edition prints) The Leslie Lohman Foundation at:http://www.leslielohman.org/MainPgs/Books.html

Fernando Carpaneda - Exhibitions

2009
-"SUPERNOVAS"-Andy Warhol Superstars & the Ante` Art Movement,Chelsea Hotel,New York, NY-USA.
-Art that Rocks-Clemente Soto Valez Cultural Center,New York, NY-USA.
-'Iconography of Mask'-Resistance Gallery,London,UK
- "TREASURES OF GAY ART"-The Leslie Lohman Gay Art Foundation,New York, NY-USA.
-DIRTY SHOW-2009-International Erotic Art Exhibition-Bert's Warehouse Theater,Detroit, MI
-MF Gallery Genova- Italy,IT
-Art Renegades, Place Gallery,Las Vegas,Nevada-USA
-Day of the Dead-Place Gallery,Las Vegas,Nevada-USA
-The 2009 MF Toy Show-MF Gallery Brooklyn,New York, NY-USA.
2008
-Bridge Art Fair Miami 2008- represented by The Barbara Ann Levy Gallery,Miami,E.U.A
-The Erotic Heritage Museum,Las Vegas,Nevada,NV
-The Cherry Grove Walk-MT-2008- curated by The Barbara Ann Levy Gallery, Fire Island,New York, NY-USA.
-Gazelland Art Issue-Leo Kesting Gallery,New York City, NY-USA.
-Toy Show 2008-MF Gallery,New York City, NY-USA.
-“Todos Somos Um”- Armando Álvares Penteado Foundation,FAAP end ESMPU,Brasília,DF,Brazil.
- PORTRAITS-Theater for the New City,New York City, NY-USA.
- Sixth Annual Halloween Art Show-MF Gallery,New York City, NY-USA.
-‘The Gay Doll Museum’-20-21 Visual Arts Centre-Scunthorpe North Lincolnshire,UK
-Art into Action-Action into Art-Theater for the New City,New York City, NY-USA.
-Zombies Attack Again-MF Gallery,New York City, NY-USA.
-The Part Art Show-Agni Gallery,New York City, NY-USA.
-Paint It!-MF Gallery,New York City, NY-USA.
-Retrocoletiva-Frei Confaloni Art Gallery, Goiania, GO-Brazil
2007
- Fifth Annual Halloween Art Show- MF Gallery- New York City, NY-USA.
- MF Toys Show 2007- MF Gallery – New York City, NY-USA
- Marcos Caiado Art Gallery – Goiânia –Brazil, GO
- ENUDS – National University Meeting of Sexual Diversity - Anthropological Museum - Federal University of Goiás - Goiânia –Brazil, GO
2006
- Treasures of Gay Art - The Leslie Lohman Gay Art Foundation, New York - Curator Peter Weiermair
2005
- “Back to the Bowery”- CB’s 313 Gallery- CBGB- Noho, New York City, NY-USA.
- The Leslie Lohman the Gay Art Foundation, New York City, NY, USA.
- The Tom of Finland Foundation, “Erotic Art Fair”, New York City, NY.
- Garvey Park Hotel Art Gallery - Railda Costa, Brasília, Brazil, DF.
2004
- Dulcina University, Brasília, DF, Brazil.
- Art Renegades art collective, Las Vegas, Nevada-USA.
2003
- Chromatose Underground, Las Vegas, Nevada-USA
- Millennium Art Gallery, Camden Town, London,UK
- Frei Confaloni Art Gallery, Goiania, GO-Brazil
2002
- CB's Gallery - CBGB - Noho, New York City, NY-USA
- The Bowery Electric Festival - CBGB, Noho, New York City, NY-USA
- Millennium Art Gallery - Camden Town, London, UK
2001
- Mocada Museum - Brooklyn, New York City, NY-USA
- CB's Gallery - CBGB - Noho, New York City, NY-USA
- National Fine Black Art - Puck Building - Savacou Gallery, New York City, NY-USA
- Art to Move you - Short Hills, New Jersey, NJ-USA
- The Global Vision "Fear of Sex" or "Fear of Aids" - The New Century Artist Gallery - Soho, New York City, NY-USA
2000
- Bienal Artshow 2000 - São João da Boa Vista, São Paulo, SP-Brazil
- "A Lucidez Absoluta ou a Completa Insanidade" - Artshow at 508 Sul Cultural Place - Brasília, DF-Brazil
1999
- "Restos Humanos" - À Capitu Art Gallery, Brasília, DF-Brazil
- Brazil and United States Association” ACBEU Art Gallery, Salvador, BA-Brazil
1998
- Santa Fe Art Gallery - Santa Fe Art show Competition , Goiania, GO-Brazil
1997
- “V Prêmio BEG” Competicion at Museum Of Contemporary Art of Goiania, GO-Brazil
- Rubem Valentim Art Gallery, 508 Sul Cultural Place- Brasília, DF-Brazil
1996
- Art show at 508 Sul Cultural Place - Brasília, DF-Brazil
- “BEG Competition” - Museum Of Contemporary Art of Goiania , GO-Brazil
- “Kaleidoscope” Art Collective at Kavehaz The Gallery - New York City, NY-USA
- Eleven Artists from Brasilia - ABA Gallery - New York City, NY-USA
1986
- Oscar Seraphico Art Gallery - Brasília, DF-Brazil
1982
- Anglo American Cultural Center, Brasilia, Brazil


Permanent Collections

- Museum of Sex - New York,NY
- The Erotic Heritage Museum,Las Vegas,Nevada,NV
- The Leslie Lohman Gay Art Foundation,New York,NY
- The Gay Doll Museum,London,UK
- MF Gallery Genova- Italy,IT
- Place Gallery,Las Vegas,Nevada,NV

- Brasilia Museum of Art,MAB-Brazil

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