Laughing Clouds

Artist Angel Otero Puerto Rican, born 1981

Date2011

MediumCollaged oil paint skins and resin on canvas

Dimensions86 1/2 x 74 x 3 in. (219.7 x 188 x 7.6 cm)

ClassificationsPaintings

Credit LinePurchased with funds from the North Carolina State Art Society (Robert F. Phifer Bequest)

Object number2011.9

On View

Not on view

Label TextOtero uses unconventional techniques to create sculptural paintings that reference the work of the abstract painters who preceded him. Acknowledging the vast and overwhelming history of painting that bears down on young artists, Otero states, “It’s not about trying to make a pretty painting; it’s about trying to make a different painting.”

Otero’s unique process starts with painting thin layers of oil paint onto plate glass and leaving it to dry. Then he carefully peels it into long sheets and collages the paint skins onto canvas, adhering them with thin layers of resin.
[L. Dougherty, "The People's Collection, Reimagined," 2022]ProvenanceCreated Brooklyn or Chicago, 2011; collection of the artist; [Lehmann Maupin Gallery, New York]; sold to NCMA, 2011.
Exhibition HistoryRaleigh, NC, North Carolina Museum of Art, "The People's Collection, Reimagined," October 7, 2022-June 3, 2024. Object Rights Statement

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