This weekend, the Leepa-Rattner Museum of Art opens its latest exhibition, A Celebration of Geometric Art: MADI Homage to Carmelo Arden Quin and the Moving MADI World of Volf Roitman.
MADI is a modern art movement characterized by bright colors and bold geometric forms. In architecture, sculpture and painting, MADI art features plenty of circles, waves, spheres, arches, spirals and stripes. The term "MADI" was first coined by Carmelo Arden Quin, a Uruguay-born artist whose influences included an uncle who was a cubist painter; and a mentor, abstract geometric artist Joaquin Torres-Garcia, who is considered to be the pioneer of the Catalan Modernist Movement. It was August of 1946 that Quin wrote and then read the MADI Manifesto aloud to the public, effectively launching the MADI movement, which focused on the shapes and colors of objects rather than offering any symbolic meaning. The Leepa-Rattner exhibit features works by Quin as well as originals by other important MADI artists, including MADI Museum and Gallery designer Volf Roitman.
During the opening reception — which takes place from 8 to 10 p.m. Sat., July 8 — Avenue Players Theatre stages a reading of Thaswachuthinck, a "theater of the absurd" play by Roitman about a never-ending quest ($10 general/free to members).
A Celebration of Geometric Art, on display through Aug. 20, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tues.-Sat., 1-5 p.m. Sun. with special evening hours from 5 to 9 p.m. Thurs., 600 Klosterman Road, St. Pete College, Tarpon Springs, $5 adults/$4 seniors (free admission to children and students with I.D.), 727-712-5762.
— Leilani Polk
This article appears in Jul 5-11, 2006.