Artbeat

Though Ecuadorian artist Carlos Monsalve is as prolific as a Disney animation studio, that doesn¹t preclude him from being painstakingly detail-oriented — and full of creativity and intriguing subject matter. Monsalve, the master artist featured at Imaginar Art House (1523 E. Las Olas Blvd., Fort Lauderdale), has painted, sculpted, drawn, and etched his own mythical universe. His paintings are ripe with Old World imagery (the half-man, half-animal creatures in many of Monsalve¹s works are an overt nod to Daljavascript:passCharacter(‘205’)). They¹re also an exercise in perception, infusing dreamlike subject matter with a cubistic knack for multiple points of view, though all viewed from the same angle. Monsalve achieves this through the use of rectangular filters — textured layers overlapping the objects — which subtly add different perspectives of the same scene (other dimensions, as the artist says). It¹s like wearing three pairs of glasses at once. Monsalve¹s sculptures and etchings are similarly surreal and, like his paintings, incredibly detailed. In addition to Monsalve, Imaginar features other Ecuadorian artists, from the abstract oil paintings of Jose Unda to the black and white xylographs of Marcelo Aguirre. Some of the sculptures have moving parts, such as Maurice Montero¹s ³Kaus,² a man-horse-bird hybrid that moves its legs and wings when you turn the crank. The piece, like everything else in Imaginar, is handmade in Ecuador. The frames are made with wood imported from Spain and Italy and custom-built to match specific paintings, all of which are exclusive to Imaginar (many are originals). Imaginar¹s Fort Lauderdale location opened in May. While there are 14 locations in Ecuador, this is the first in the United States. Look for a grand opening reception this fall. Call 954-525-9625. — Jason Budjinski