Roberto Obregón
ARCHIVO ROBERTO OBREGÓN / CAROLINA AND FERNANDO ESEVERRI COLLECTION, CARACAS.
“A chronicler who recites events without distinguishing between major and minor acts in accordance to the following truth: nothing that has ever happened should be regarded as lost for history.” Walter Benjamin, Theses on the Philosophy of History, Illuminations The Roberto Obregón Archive belongs to the Carolina and Fernando Eseverri Collection in Caracas. It was acquired several years ago directly from the artist’s family and comprises hundreds of items including artworks by Obregón (e.g., drawings, photos, collages, sketches, maquettes, photomontages, etc.) as well as his library, videos, letters and other important documents. Five years ago, archivists Israel Ortega and Leonor Solá began research for the Archivo Roberto Obregón (ARO). In the process, they came to understand what has been a very important and significant finding: even though Obregón produced thousand of works during his life time that are related to the rose, most of these works stem from a set of approximately 10 actual roses. “Time Sensitive” - Pinta Projects presents a selection from ARO based on the rose that Obregón used to identify as “Agua de Mar (ADM)” (Sea Water), a rose that he also used for another series of work entitled “El Agua como un Ciclo” (Water as a Cycle), watercolors he created with water
from various sources, including rain, river, snow and sea water. Obregón is an artist widely respected in Venezuela and among insiders throughout Latin America. In this context, experts and viewers alike are able to appreciate his work in its very processual dimension.