The first monograph of Iván Navarro, realised on Galerie Daniel Templon’s demand by Communic’Art, presents a series of works created between 1996 and 2007.

The catalogue gathers 68 illustrations with a text by John B. Ravenal, Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.

Of Chilean origins, Iván Navarro was born in 1972 in Santiago, where he followed his art studies at the Universidad Catolica from 1991 to 1995.

He made himself known in New York, where he resides now, thanks to his post-minimalist sculptures conceived with standard industrial elements- light bulbs, fluorescent lights, glass mirrors – that he diverts into trompe l’oeil, furnitures or installations.

At first sight, his tools are not without recalling the minimalist language of the 70s and in particular Dan Flavin’s neons sculptures that Iván Navarro pays sometimes homage to, with humour.

However, this appropriation of modernism is just a way to subvert its codes. Iván Navarro enjoys creating pastiches or illusion games that appeal to the spectator and proposes a politicaland sociological criticism of contemporary America. Silla Electrica, a chair inspired by Rietveld’s design, takesthe shape of denunciation of death penalty.

Iván Navarro grew up under Augusto’s Pinochet dictatorship which he denounces in his works.“From this experience, Navarro kept, like many of his compatriots, an acute perception of the discrepancies between appearance and truth. Nothing surprising, therefore, in the fact that his luminous works show an interest forpower and double meaning” writes John B. Ravenal, in the introduction of the catalogue.

This catalogue is distributed by PARIS MUSÉES, in France near 300 libraries of which 50 specialized laying outan “Art” district. It is also referenced in about forty professional databases of which the Fnac, Amazon and Dilicom, like on websites of sale online. It will be also distributed in Europe, North America and the Middle East.