Pepe Toledo

PEPE TOLEDO
Colombia, 1953
“In the Segments Series, different fragments make up each of the pieces. The various fractions are joined together through welding, creating suggestive compositions that invite the spectator not only to observe from a single angle but also to walk through and discover the playful interaction between full and empty spaces posed by these peculiar structures.

Iron is Pepe Toledo’s preferred material for his sculptures. An element with very distinguished characteristics in terms of firmness and weight. The lack of malleability is a particular challenge for works that retain a light appearance and consequently seem weightless and evoke paper-crafted forms.

The Silhouettes Series not only offers sensual shapes that are projected into space, but also includes a wide chromatic spectrum evident in light- and bright-toned surfaces. Although formats vary, the structures always preserve and project a monumental character throughout.

Toledo’s sculptures seem to defy these characteristics as they are projected into space with an appearance of lightness, while unfolding with great agility and spatial resources. Many of the works materialize like streamers in space, not only creating drawings in the air but also fashioning a free-flowing transition between full and, above all, empty spaces.

His sculptures are made to be observed from different points of view. The viewer can walk around them and notice as these open and close their shapes at every turn.”

Miguel Gonzalez
Curator and Art Historian.