The self-described 'son of the internet', Felipe Pantone is an Argentine-Spanish multidisciplinary artist whose practice marries the aesthetics of Op Art with the ever-changing world of new technology. His psychedelic and often monumental installations can be found both within and outside of the gallery space, reflecting his beginnings as a graffiti artist.
Read MorePantone was born in Buenos Aires in 1986 and emigrated with his parents to Torrevieja in the south of Spain at the age of 10. His artistic exploration began in childhood, copying characters from the video game Mortal Kombat and logos from 80s heavy metal bands. By the age of 12, Pantone was regularly creating graffiti on the streets of Torrevieja. In an attempt to stand out against the urban landscape, he developed a high-contrast visual style that featured black, white and vivid colours, which lingers in his current practice. Like many graffiti artists, Pantone maintains anonymity, obscuring his face in public photographs.
Pantone studied fine arts in Leeds and Valencia but came to reject the traditional artmaking techniques he was taught. He found value instead in art history classes, recognising the importance of knowing what has come before in order to 'contribute with something'. This exposure drew him to the visual language of abstraction, kinetic and Op Art, shaping and informing his dynamic style.
In 2012, Pantone worked as an assistant to Richard Mirando, an eminent American graffiti artist better known as Seen. In 2016, he created work at a residency at Carlos Cruz-Diez's studio Articruz in Panama City. Together, Pantone and Cruz-Diez created the 'W3-DIMENSIONAL' series, where the emerging artist explored UV printing, laser cutting and automotive lacquers for the first time.
Pantone lives and works in Valencia, Spain.
Characterised by neon gradients, geometric shapes and patterns, Felipe Pantone's practice combines the visual hallmarks of artists such as Victor Vasarely with the technical innovation of the Internet Age. Combining spray paint with new mediums, his works are often interactive, consistently evoking a visual 'glitch' that combines both analogue and digital worlds.
In 2017, Pantone took part in Palais de Tokyo's Lasco Project—an initiative celebrating street artists which featured monumental works by Stelios Faitakis, Olivier Kosta-Théfaine, Philippe Baudelocque, JR, and Os Gemeos. Staged in an A86 Duplex tunnel, not usually accessible to the public, that joins Rueil-Malmaison and Vélizy, Paris, Pantone covered the 4000m2 space with pulsating grids and gradients in contrasting colours. Visual 'glitches' were recreated in spray paint to form antiquated Windows error boxes and QR codes.
In 2021, Pantone presented Big Time Data at Gallería RGR, Mexico City, which responded to the means of analysing that which is too complex or seemingly infinite. Represented in plastic, the exhibition brought together many of his ongoing series such as Optichromie, Planned Iridescence, Integration System and Chromadynamica. The metre-long Subtractive Variability Dimensional 4 (2020) hung above the works, which translated binary code into an iridescent prism of colour.
Inspired by the Latin manus (hand), Pantone's 2022 show MANIPULABLE with Gallery COMMON, Tokyo presented nine kinetic artworks within a completely interactive installation space. Inspired by the configurable nature of the internet, the artist hoped to encourage visitors to interact with the works in a way that reflects the 'self-curation' of contemporary society. Comprising moving screen walls in UV rainbows and the spinning discs of his SUBTRACTIVE VARIABILITY CIRCULAR series, Pantone aimed to bridge the gap between viewer and artwork.
Reflecting his foundational practice in street art, Pantone has been prolific in the production of public murals and installations. This includes Chromadynamica for the Tecnológico de Monterrey, Mexico in association with DistritoTec (2017); Optichromie – BUF for the Town Ballroom in Buffalo, New York in association with the Albright-Knox Gallery's public art initiative (2019); a mosaic for the Polytechnic University of Valencia (2020); 300,000 Km/s on Faria Lima Avenue, São Paulo (2022); and Quick Tide for Greenwich Peninsula, London (2022).
Felipe Pantone has been the subject of both solo and group exhibitions.
Solo exhibitions include: Manipulable, Gallery COMMON, Tokyo (2022); Metallic Contact, Albertz Benda, New York (2022); Casa Variable, Danysz Gallery, Paris (2021); Veladura Digital, Galería Javier López & Fer Francés (The Playground), Madrid (2021).
Group exhibitions include Endless Summer, Albertz Benda, Los Angeles (2022); Convergences, Galería RGR, Mexico City (2022); MISA.art, König Galerie, Berlin (2021); Vibrations, Danysz Gallery, Paris (2019).
Felipe Pantone's website can be found here and Felipe Pantone's Instagram can be found here.
Annie Curtis | Ocula | 2023
