Gustavo Oviedo

LUCID DREAMS, A SOLO SHOW OF RECENT WORKS BY ARTIST GUSTAVO OVIEDO

Miami-based artist observes nature and ponders human existence

LAKE WORTH BEACH, FL – mtn space is pleased to present LUCID DREAMS, a solo show of new work by Miami-based artist Gustavo Oviedo. Lucid Dreams will be on view from Friday, May 20th through Sunday, June 26th. An opening reception will be held Saturday, May 21st from 6-9pm. 

Oviedo describes his mark-making as a visual language that he discovered and tapped into during his early years working strictly as a graffiti artist growing up in France and later Miami. His work has evolved from these early creative roots to highly colorful, graphic-oriented forms inspired by his love of the sea. An avid diver, Oviedo finds inspiration directly from the marine ecosphere and Islandia. His work as a muralist, videographer, sculptor and painter centralizes the pivotal role nature plays in human existence. Oviedo's large-scale public murals, short films and paintings reflect his signature stylized forms that exude an electric cartoon-like quality. In his short films — through both visual and sound design — Oviedo presents a dynamic community of otherworldly, undersea creatures and dream-like terrains in which individual inhabitants contribute to daily life. Oviedo’s recent investigations specifically incorporate research on the concept of biomimicry and how natural selection in nature can translate to the principles of human engineering.

In LUCID DREAMS, Oviedo explores the correlations between niche differentiation and art making. The works presented highlight the ways in which he is influenced by natural biological processes, and his own active decision-making, opening a dialogue with the audience to engage with their surroundings. As with the organisms Oviedo is inspired by, there is a melding between choice and instinct creating a feedback loop for progression in his artistic process. 

“I am looking for successful forms… I am looking for harmony. [These] choices within the process keep evolving. I am not necessarily inventing;  the title for this show is referencing the moment before the artistic process begins, yet still related to what I have done before. This is the closest thing to me that lucid dreams are… both conscious and instinctual.”

-Gustavo Oviedo