New series of paintings

Acrylic on board, 17 x 33.5 cm (6.7 x 13 in.)

Familiar subject matter for Vicente Heca — a glass marble, gleaming striped fabric, folds and wrinkles — but now, allowing wood to show through the painted surface creates a breach in the polished veneer of hyperrealism. In other works the artist shows his love for worn, torn surfaces (the ragged edges of ripped paper, or sea-weathered wood and fishermen’s corks); here the painting surface itself embodies this quality. The painting is not merely an image of a worn, torn object; it is itself that object.

But for me the recent paintings are more than conceptual, more than minimalist, with their black and white and gray schemes. I read in a book about color symbolism in dreams (Dream Language by Robert J. Hoss) that gray often suggests a detachment from or concealment of the emotions. Yet in each painting, emotional content breaks through, as seen in the bright sparks of color enclosed within the marbles. In this small painting a veil has been delicately torn, exposing the rough, natural essence beneath the smooth surface of art and artfulness.

—Kendra Crossen

Valencia

Franjas y Canicas

Picasso & the White Ball

Heca Painting at the Valencia Hilton

Holographic Art

These works combine fine oil brush painting in the Spanish tradition with the technology of holography, a colorful display of motion in three dimensions formed by laser beams. The holograms, works of pure light, are screwed into the painting surface (masonite). Vicente studied holography in art at New York Alpha Holographics and New York Holographic Laboratories.

Forthcoming Exhibitions

Treasure of Seeds: An Exhibition of Contemporary Art
Jenolan Caves, NSW, Australia
13-21 September 2008

Conexiones: Artistas de Tres Continentes
Rocafort, Spain
3 - 31 October 2008

The D'AG BAG

Vicente Heca’s fascination with wrinkled paper goes back several decades, as demonstrated by this 1976 painting of a “D’Ag Bag.” D’Agostino’s is an old family-owned upscale supermarket chain in New York City, and the design of its famous shopping bags has evolved over the years. Their web site boasts: “No surprise that movies and television shows shot on location in New York frequently use D’Agostino stores or ‘D’AG BAGS’ to help impart a sense of New York City realism.”

Back in 1976, the D’Ag Bag was a humble brown paper bag, just the sort of thing Vicente enjoys painting. And it was great fun to be able to sell the painting to one of the D’Agostino brothers himself, at the opening of a new D’Agostino supermarket in Brooklyn. Of course, most of the money ended up back in the supermarket cash register, as Vicente couldn’t resist using the money to shop for goodies at the new store.

Recently wondering what had become of his painting, Vicente wrote to D’Agostino’s and received good news from Anderson Chung, Director of Marketing for D'Agostino Supermarkets. Mr. Chung reported that the D’Ag Bag painting was alive and well, hanging in view of his office. He kindly sent the photo of the painting shown here.

The D’Ag Bag lives on, currently in a “green” incarnation. But we still feel nostalgia for this unassuming yet moody brown paper bag with its distinctive bold design.

Mini Paintings

Two Expositions Open in Valencia

Vicente in front of the Galeria Artis

Painting of Stripes by Vicente Heca at the Galeria ArteAltea

The opening of two group shows in Valencia, Spain, took place on Thursday, May 29.

1. At the Galería Artis, seven international
artists are exhibiting their work in the show
called “Conexiones” (Connections), until June 17.
Paintings, sculptures, and multimedia works are
displayed.

Vicente Heca, Salvador Nadal, and Julia de la Rua
at the Galeria Artis, with the sculpture "The Slave"
by Salvador Nadal

From Australia

Jacqueline Martin-Miller de Velasco, acrylic/mixed media.
Below: Viewers examine La Poesía del Desierto Pinnacles,
which combines paint with paper handmade of plants and flowers.

Federico F. Mendoza, photomontage.

From Spain

Salvador Nadal, sculpture in natural and synthetic stone

Julia De la Rúa, watercolor paintings

Vicente Heca, acrylic paintings

From America

Jesús María del Rincón, acrylic paintings. Below: Bibi chats with
a visitor, in front of two of his paintings.

Cuca del Rincón, fine-art photography

2. Ten artists are showing at the Galería ArteAltea,
with its attractive, newly renovated space.
See the exhibition virtually at
www.galeriaartealtea.com.

Featured Artists

Alexis Alemany - Chelin Sanjuan - Mario Garcia Miro

Vicente Heca - Hector Fernandez - Joan Subira

Ramon Gutierrez - Paz Tejon

Jesús María del Rincón - Cuca del Rincón

Vicente Heca in front of the Galeria ArteAltea

Bibi del Rincón and Chelin Sanjuan



Vicente, Alexis, and Jose Luis of Al-Lucin Arte

Mobile

Found

Connections: Artists of Three Continents

With several friends who are members of the international group Artenergia, Vicente is now preparing an upcoming exhibition in Valencia, Spain. Here is your invitation.

Galería Artis
Calle Cirilo Amorós, 78
Valencia 46004
Gallery hours, 6 - 9 pm , Monday through Saturday

Opening, Thursday, 29 May 2008, at 8 PM

Web pages of the other participating artists:

Jacqueline Martin- Miller de Velasco - Australia

Federico F. Mendoza - Australia

Salvador Nadal - Spain

Julia De la Rúa - Spain

Jesús María del Rincón - Puerto Rico

Cuca del Rincón - Puerto Rico

Vicente, Federico, and Julia

Meher Baba and the Blue Marble

Piedras Encontradas

All of these "found stones" and bits of sea-weathered tile were picked up along the Mediterranean shore—except for one. Can you guess which one of these stones we found in our bag of potatoes?

Pendulum

No, it's not a bagel. It's a Spanish fisherman's cork net float.

Libros

Reencontrando Recuerdos

Threads

Glass marble