Curriculum

Rodney Zelenka
9 sept 2019
7 Min. de lectura

Actualizado: 25 jun

Rodney Zelenka

Born in Panamà, 1953. Jewish Austrian-German parents who migrated from Europe to Panama in 1939.

Lives and works in Panamà.

1962/1969: Escuela de Bellas Artes, Panamà. Courses with Panamanian masters, Alfredo Sinclair and Guillermo Trujillo.

1971/77: Graduated Cornell University, Ithaca N.Y., with a major in Economics and at minor in Latin American Politics. Took art courses at the Fine Arts department during his studies at Cornell University.

1979/89: Zelenka visited and stayed long periods of time, sharing art concepts and techniques, in the studios of important artists such as:

Julio Zachrisson, born 1930/2022. Madrid. Awarded the prestigious Goya-Aragon 1996 Prize, whose works are in museum collections as: MoMa, Metropolitan, N.Y.C.,….

Rodolfo Abularach: 1933/2020. Lived in N.Y.C.. Works are in museum collections as the MoMa, MET, Smithsonian -Washington D.C….

Jessy Patrick Allen: born 1936. Lives in California. Works are in many museums.

Other facts: Practicing III Degree Black Belt in Karate. Real estate developer. Farmer. Presently married to Melissa Royo and father of four boys.

Comments on Style: Comments by the artist on his work: I started painting when I was 7, I had an innate abstract interest in colors and forms. But Impressionist artists like Renoir and VanGogh enamored me to magical realism. Although I never left my admiration for Pollock, De Kooning, Motherwell and such. But then I discovered Surrealism, not just from a Frida Kahlo personal perspectives, but from the eye of Chagall, (Yes Chagall), and Dali, Magritte and the feeling of Wilfredo Lam and Matta. At the same time, I became interested in psychodelic art and Pop Art, where Warhol made me realize material and brand connections with the public. I must add to this, I started practicing Karate, and discovered oriental philosophy, Zen and its art forms. All of this was saturating my brain.

I had studied Economics and Latin American Politics at Cornell, in the 1970´s, and being as well a first generation Holocaust survivor son, I became interested in the concept of economics and politics in art, and discovered Picasso´s Guernica, Assassin of the Innocent by Ruben, as Saturn eating his son, by Rubens and Goya, and Diego Rivera and Siqueiros, and yes, Rauchenberg, to name a few. And surely Ansel Keifer. All connecting directly their eyes and interests in political statements.

And so, in the spirit of DADA art, and Matin Buber´s existencial dilema, I became aware of the odd, if not hypocritical and mocking values of society and life in general, and thus found my way into the art of ¨DENOUNCE and the weird¨. But rather than expect a political result of my denunciation or decomposition, or a discovery of myself, I realized I had found a streak of gold for inspiration.

It was in the idea of abuse of power and woke information and fake news, something that is in vogue, specially now in the ciber world and coming of age of AI; When political affiliations are as garment brands in style.

I began, in the last 30 years, my most recent road trip in art; In the uncomfortable world of the surreal state of existence between politics, faith, religion, daily needs, human feelings, culture and art.

As Picasso and his colleagues came to Cubism, Matisse to spacial flat colors and shapes, as Bacon decomposed figures, as Bosh was ahead of his times in fantasy reflecting his society, as Pollock made order out of chaos, and Hirst art of the unexpected, I am also working on breaking the mold in my way.

Im using multimedia techniques, sculpture, installations, Videos, paintings and drawings on paper, and canvas, mixed media and more, to arouse a reaction from my public, not just in its understanding of art, but with their own feelings, devils, ghosts, euphoria, sensuality and eve sexual secrets, their political party affiliations and their ignorance, molded and manipulated perceptions, to try and fracture the publics conception and have them restructure it again, hopefully in search of beauty.

Solo Shows-------

1980 Galería ARTE’80 – Panamá.

1985 Galería Habitante – Panamá.

1987 Gallery Revel – SOHO – New York, U.S.A.

1989 Shone Okuda – Gallery – Tokyo, Japan.

1990 Gallery NAITO – Nagoya, Japan.

1990 Daimaru Dept. Store Museum Gallery – Osaka, Japan.

1993 Cast Iron Gallery, SOHO, New York City – U.S.A.

1995 Centenario de la Bienal de Pintura. Venecia – Italia.

1995 Barnard Biderman Fine Art Gallery – Ney York, U.S.A.

1996 Bienal Internacional de Arte – Sao Pablo, Brazil.

1996 Museo Municipal de Arte Moderno – Cuenca – Ecuador.

1996 Museo – Casa de la Cultura Ecuatoriana – Quito, Ecuador.

1996 Museo de la Nación – Lima, Perú.

1997 Museo de Arte Contemporáneo – Panamá.

1997 2nd Egyptian Internacional Print Triennale – Giza, Egipto. (Premio – Mención Honorífica).

1998 Museo de Arte Moderno – Santo Dominigo, República Dominicana.

1998 Galería Alejandr Gallo – Guadalajara – México.

2022 Museo de la Casa Cultura Ecuatoriana – Quito , Ecuador.

2022 Centro Estatal de las Artes, Tecate, Baja California, Mexico. (Exhibition of 60 works by Zelenka) – Curado por Francisco (Pancho) Lòpez y Olga Margarita Dàvila Garcìa.

2022 Centro Estatal de las Artes de Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico, (Exhibition of 60 works by Zelenka). Curado por Francisco (Pancho) Lòpez y Olga Margarita Dàvila Garcìa.

2022 Vitrinas del Metro de la Ciudad de Mexico, DF, Mexico. Curado por Francisco (Pancho) Lòpez.

2022 TENRI CULTURAL INSTITUTE OF NEW YORK – N.Y.C., U.S.A. Curated by Elga Wimmer and Thalia Vrachopoulos.

2023 Centro Estatal de las Artes, Tijuana, Mexico

2023- Museo de Arte Contemporaneo , Ciudad de Juárez , México . “A Ras de Suelo”

2024- Museo Metropolitano de la Ciudad de Monterey , México . “A Ras de Suelo”

2024- Facultad de Artes Visuales de la Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, México. -“Un Mundo Actual”

2024- Museo de arte Contemporáneo de Querétaro, México - “A Ras de Suelo”

2024- Galería Juan Manuel Cedeño, del ministerio de Cultura de Panamá. - “Suitcase Stories”

2024- Lichtundfire Galery , NYC , New York . - “Semiotics of a Spider”

2025 - Casa de la Primera Imprenta, Galeria, Universidad Metropolitana de Mexico, DF, Mexico - “Estetica de la Coerción”

2025- Vitrina de la Estación del Metro - Zocalo, DF, Mexico. “A Ras de Suelo”

2025- Centro Cultural Teatro Garcia Carrillo (Galeria), (en el Festival Internacional de las Artes) en Saltillo, Mexico - "Suitcase Stories”

____________________

Group Shows-----

1979 Museo de Arte Contemporáneo Panamà – Gulf Oil Exhibition –(PRIZE).

1981 Galleria Arte`80 – Panamá.

1981 Museum of Contemporary Art – Panamá.

1982 Municipal Palace Museum – Panamá.

1983 Galeria Habitante – Panamá.

1983 Galeria Universitaria DEXA – Panamá.

1983 Museum of Contemporary Art – Panamá.

1984 Walton – Gilbert Gallery – San Francisco, U.S.A.

1984 Galeria del Instituto Nacional de Cultura – Panamá.

1984 Lions Club Art Show – Panamá.

1985 Museum of Contemporary Art – Panamá.

1986 Museum of Contemporary Art – National Art Contest – INAC Panamá.

1987 Galeria del Instituto Nacional de Cultura – Panamá.

1988 Ivey Gallery – Los Angeles, U. S. A.

1988 Shone Okuda Gallery – Tokyo, Japan.

1988 Gallery Gekoso – Tokyo, Japan.

1989 Galería Mery Bernal – Panamá.

1990 Queens Gallery – New York, U.S.A.

1992 Bienal – Museo de Arte Contemporáneo – Panamá.

1993 Feria Internacional de Arte en Caracas – Venezuela.

1994 Bienal Inernacional de Cuenca – Ecuador.

1994 Bienal del Caribe - Santo Domingo – República Dominicana.

1994 Bienal Museo de Arte Contemporáneo – Panamá.

1996 Bienal Museo de Arte Contemporáneo – Panamá.

1996 Feria Internacional de Arte – Galería Jacobo Carpio ATMA Gallery – Guadalajara, México.

1996 Museo de Arte Contemporáneo – “Cumbre Iberoamericana” – Santiago de Chile.

1997 Museo Pedro de Osma – “Maestros de la Pintura Contemporánea” Asamblea General OEA – Lima, Perú.

1997 Museo Munisipalidad de Lima ( Festival Inter. de Arte ) – Lima, Perú.

1997 Feria ARCO’97 – Galería Jacobo Karpio – Madrid, España.

1997 Christies Latin American – New York City, U.S.A.

1997 Sotheby’s Latin American – New York City, U.S.A.

1998 America’s Society – “Crosscurrents” – New York City, U.S.A.

1998 Bass Museum of Art – “Crosscurrents” – Miami, U.S.A.

1998 FIA’Miami – Jacobo Karpio – ATMA Gallery – Miami, U.S.A.

1998 ARCO’98 – Jacobo Karpio – ATMA Gallery – Madrid, España.

1998 FIAC – Guadalajara – Jacobo Karpio – ATMA Gallery – México.

1998 Bienal – Museo de Arte Contemporáneo – Panamá.

1998 Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Panamá – “Crosscurrents” - Panamá.

1999 FIA’Miami – Jacobo Karpio – ATMA Gallery – Miami, U.S.A.

1999 Art Chicago – Jacobo Karpio _ ATMA Gallery – Chicago, U.S.A.

2000 Art Chicago – Jacobo Karpio _ ATMA Gallery – Chicago, U.S.A.

2001 Art Miami – Jacobo Karpio _ ATMA Gallery – Miami, U.S.A.

2002 Bienal – Museo de Arte Contemporáneo – Panamá.

2002 Bienal II Internacional – Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes – Buenos Aires, Argentina.

2020 – Galerìa Elga Wimmer PCC – NYC, USA. – Virtual Group Show- Summer Newsletter, published in Newsletter AERY

2020- Galerìa Elga Wimmer PCC – NYC, USA. Group Show Curated by Elga Wimmer and Berta Sichel – Art and Politics. – Reviewed in WHITEHOT MAGAZINE of Contemporary Art, by Mark Bloch.

2021 – Galeria Elga Wimmer PCC – NYC, USA. Group Show published in Artsy Virtual Gallery.

2021-22 – Museo Casa Pintada – Fundaciòn Gabarròn, Mula, Murcia, España. Group Show tittled: “Todo es Arte – Todo es Polìtica”. Works exhibited include “Los Caprichos de Goya”. Exhibition curated by Elga Wimmer and Berta Sichel

2022 – Subasta del Museo de Arte Contemporaneo , Ciudad de Panamà.

2023 - Group show at Lichtundfire Galery - 175 Rivington St, New York , U.S.A..

______________________

Texts written by:

Elga Wimmer – N.Y.C.

Olga Margarita Dàvila Garcìa – Mexico

Francisco (Pancho) Lòpez - Mexico

Phyllis Braff- N.Y.C….

Berta M. Sichel- N.Y.C./Madrid/L.A.

Eduardo Caseres – N.Y.C.

Susana Madera – Ecuador / Milagros Aguirre- Ecuador

Klaus Steinmetz – Costa Rica