Spanish Contemporary artist Juan Genovés is featured artist at the 2012 Naples Winter Wine Festival

NAPLES, FL.- Naples Winter Wine Festival announces Juan Genovés as the 2012 Featured Artist, adding to its already lengthy list of talented chefs and vintners participating in this year's event, scheduled for Jan. 27-29 in Naples, Fla. Born in Valencia in 1930, Genovés is considered to be one of Spain's best known contemporary artists. "Recognized for his aesthetic style rooted in social realism and political art, Genovés has a distinctly critical voice that became a force for political change during the Francisco Franco regime in Spain," said Tara K. Reddi, vice president of Marlborough Gallery, which represents the artist. Genovés' body of work is devoted to the subject of political engagement. His artistic development occurred in the isolated world of Franco's Spain, where he was influenced by modern photography and cinema, especially the work of Sergei Eisenstein. Genovés' iconic painting, "Arcos," which will be auctioned off at this year's festival, demonstrates his technique. Working with acrylic paint in an impasto style to create a distinct cinematic quality, his art repeatedly addresses two subjects: the "individual" and the "multitude." Many of his works explore the concept of the crowd where the collective body of humanity is pulled toward something greater than the individual. These works, depicting bird's-eye views of empty landscapes devoid of buildings, roads, trees or any context clues, create a sense of anxiety and dislocation. The artist's forceful use of line and perspective, aligned with an exacting eye for the modulation and use of color, are as physically engaging as they are aesthetically compelling. Genovés is the recipient of a number of important prizes, including the Mention of Honor at the XXXIII Venice Biennale, 1966; Gold Medal at the VI Biennale Internazionale de San Marino, 1967; Marzotto Internazional Prize, 1968; Premio Nacional de Artes Plásticas, Spain, 1984; and Premio de las Artes Plásticas de Generalitat Valenciana, Spain, 2002. Genovés' work is found in many of the most important public collections in the U. S. and Europe, including: The Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, Ill.; Centre National d'Art Contemporain, Paris, France; Galeria Nazionale d'Arte Moderna, Rome, Italy; The Museum of Modern Art and The Guggenheim Museum, both in New York; Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, Madrid, Spain; Israel Museum, Jerusalem, Israel; Instituto Valenciano de Arte Moderno, Valencia, Spain; and Musees Royaux des Beaux-Arts de Belgique, Brussels, Belgium. Juan Genovés lives and works in Madrid, and is represented exclusively by Marlborough Gallery. Festival ticket packages are $8,500 per couple; $20,000 for reserved seating at the same vintner dinner for two couples.