Oscar Machado (b. 1953) trained as a sculptor and acknowledges that one of the most important experiences in his career was his apprenticeship with the great maestro of modern Venezuelan sculpture, Francisco Narváez. But his goal is to break with the idea of “volume” and “form” in modern sculpture. He was one of the artists who, in the 1980s, advocated a renewal of (and reflection on) traditional genres in the visual arts (paintings, drawing, sculpture). Though not considered a conceptual artist, Machado has been included in exhibitions featuring major conceptual artists—see: Venezuela: nuevas cartografías y cosmogonías (GAN, 1991; CCS 10, GAN. 1993, all in Caracas)—because he is always ready to experiment with new materials and his work is all about creativity. In her review, the journalist Blanca Elena Pantin (b. 1957) quotes comments from accredited critics that reveal these details. For example, in the catalogue, Ruth Auerbach describes Machado’s work as being more “sculptural action” than sculpture; she says the “vessels, amphorae, and corkscrews insist of presenting themselves as open, unfinished ideas, or perhaps as a stage in a creative process.” Pantin also quotes Roberto Guevara (a visitor at the exhibition) on the natural stones that the artist combines with cheap costume jewelry and sequins to produce what, in the critic’s opinion, are a form of readymade.
From the beginning of the review, Pantin describes Machado as being “the great revival of young sculpture in Venezuela.” She also shares interesting insights about him and his ethical views (on art and the role of the artist) in quotes such as: “I am not a rationalist,” and “In my work, mankind comes before technology.” She explains that Machado is a sculptor who chose to remain on the fringes of the art world so that he would not have to make any kind of concessions or benefit from public recognition. Machado points out that his work contains a message about the need to prevent the chaos that lurks ahead in the future of the human race.