Contemporary Spanish artist Pello Irazu is credited with renewing Basque sculpture. His work is diverse and compelling. One thread that weaves though all his explorations is the complex relationship between the viewer, the artwork and space they both occupy. Although his pieces often incorporate traditional two-dimensional elements, like the piece shown here entitled 14-9, he is always thinking spatially — like a sculptor. In this particular work a portion of the piece seems to leap off the page, out of the frame and land on the adjacent wall — allowing the observer to literally inhabit the space formed by the work.
Apart from his strong spatial sensibility, his “style,” media or approach is not clearly defined and, as a living artist, continues to evolve. In a recent interview he discussed how his work was influenced or changed when he lived and worked in Bilbao vs London vs New York. He sees himself operating within a post-modern world – a hybrid reality where nothing remains pure. Similarly, his body of work, which incorporates sculpture, painting, murals and photography, blurs the boundaries that separate traditional art genres and categories. I find his work fresh, engaging and absolutely delightful.