1981
Venezuelan Op and kinetic painter and sculptor Jesús Rafael Soto (1923–2007) is perhaps best known for his immersive installations, which respond to their environments and physically absorb the viewer in a dynamic sensory experience.
The exploration of space is central to Soto’s work. This is evident in his early paintings, of the 1950s, which create the illusion of movement through simple compositions and a limited palette. During the same period, he integrated industrial materials like nylon and steel into linear constructions that were part painting, part sculpture.
But Rafael Soto’s grandest and most enigmatic creations are his “Pénétrables.” Made up of thousands of long clear or colored plastic strands suspended from the ceiling or from free-standing steel or PVC frames, these geometric sculptures play with the perception of space, inviting viewers to act as participants by moving within and through them.
The strips of some of the installations were partly painted, forming shapes when seen from a distance. The Houston Penetrable (2014), at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, for instance, appears to hold a floating yellow ellipse.
Rafael Soto created 25 “Pénétrables” over the course of his career. Each further blurred the line between reality and illusion and established viewers as not just spectators but as integral parts of the artwork itself.
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Composition 1
By Jesús Rafael Soto
Located in Paris, FR
Silksreen, 1973 Handsigned by the artist in pencil and numbered 69/95 Publisher : Malbotough Graphics, New York 80.00 cm. x 80.00 cm. 31.5 in. x 31.5 in. (paper) 65.00 cm. x 65.00...
Silk
Untitled
By Jesús Rafael Soto
Located in Paris, FR
Silksreen, 1970 Handsigned by the artist in pencil and numbered 63/145 70.00 cm. x 50.00 cm. 27.56 in. x 19.69 in. (paper) 44.30 cm. x 44.50 cm. 17.44 in. x 17.52 in. (image) The V...
Silk
Le rouge d'en haut
By Arthur Luiz Piza
Located in Paris, FR
Engraving Edition : 3/99 63.00 cm. x 45.00 cm. 24.8 in. x 17.72 in. (paper) 26.50 cm. x 21.50 cm. 10.43 in. x 8.46 in. (image) Handsigned by the artist in pencil Ref : LCD3560
Engraving
Rosso agli angoli
By Giuseppe Santomaso
Located in Paris, FR
Lithograph, 1971 Handsigned by the artist in pencil and annotated "Epreuve artiste" Artist proof Printer : Erker Presse, St Gallen 76.00 cm. x 56.00 cm. 29.92 in. x 22.05 in. (pape...
Lithograph
The Red Curtain (Séguier)
By Olivier Debre
Located in Paris, FR
Lithograph, 1987 Edition : 60 ex. Publisher : Librairie Séguier (Paris) Catalog : [Pernoud 435] 76.00 cm. x 56.00 cm. 29.92 in. x 22.05 in. (paper) 60.00 cm. x 50.50 cm. 23.62 in. ...
Lithograph
Warrior with red background
By Antoni Clavé
Located in Paris, FR
Engraving, 1970 Handsigned by the artist in pencil and numbered 71/80 Publisher : L'Oeuvre gravée, Berne Printer : Atelier Juan José Torralba, Barcelone Catalog : [Llorens 257] Carbo...
Engraving
Ovalo en el Rojo Edition 78/110
By Jesús Rafael Soto
Located in Miami, FL
Jesús Rafael Soto was a Venezuelan artist known for his kinetic sculptures and large-scale installations. Like Alexander Calder and George Rickey, Soto’s delicate and responsive constructions react to external stimuli and changes in the atmosphere, as seen in his work Penetrable (1990). “Artistic creation is a force which should preferably be directed towards the exploration of space, of the universe, of the infinite realities which surround us, but of which we are hardly conscious,” Soto once mused. Born on June 5, 1923 in Cuidad Bolívar, Venezuela, he studied at the Escuela des artes plásticas in Caracas from 1942–1947 and later served as the director of the Escuela de bellas artes in Maracaibo, Venezuela until his move to Europe in 1950. Settling in Paris, he associated with the Op Art artists Victor Vasarely and Yaacov Agam, as well as members of the ZERO group such as Otto Piene, Jean Tinguely, and Heinz Mack. In 1973, the Museo de arte modern Jesús...
Metal
Untitled
By Jesús Rafael Soto
Located in Miami, FL
Jesus Rafael Soto “Untitled” Lithograph Ed. 63 of 120 29 x 23 in
Lithograph
Composition 1996
By Jesús Rafael Soto
Located in Miami, FL
Composition 1996 Silkscreen in colors on Arches paper 21.7 x 29.5 in (55 x 75 cm) Editioned upper left and signed upper right Edition of 99 Jesús Rafael Soto was born on June 5, 19...
Lithograph
Red Composition, Abstract Geometric Etching by Jacqueline De Butler
By Jacqueline De Butler
Located in Long Island City, NY
Jacqueline De Butler, French (1928 - ) - Red Composition, Year: circa 1968, Medium: Etching with Aquatint on Arches, signed and numbered in penc...
Etching, Aquatint
Red Surface 2024 - geometric abstract painting
By Roberto Lucchetta
Located in New York, NY
This hand-painted piece by Lucchetta is part of the op art series where he is able to catch movement with his unique technique. Lucchetta is challenging himself. His precise stable h...
Wood, Ink, Acrylic, Cardboard
Caroni
By Jesús Rafael Soto
Located in New York, NY
Color screenprint on heavy white wove paper, 1971. Signed by the artist in pencil, lower right. Numbered 146/175 in pencil, lower left. Published by Denise René and Hans Meyer, Pa...
Screen, Color
