Uncu, 1973
Alejandro Puente studied Theory of Vision with Héctor Cartier. He took part in the Grupo Sí "Yes" Group] in La Plata, Argentina with highly gestural paintings. He soon reoriented his poetics toward a so-called "sensitive" (as opposed to hard-edge) geometry and in 1967 presented primary structure in the framework of Semana de Arte Avanzado (Week of Advanced Art), organized by the Instituto Torcuato Di Tella. He was awarded a Guggenheim fellowship, entered into avant-garde circles in New York, and participated in the 1970 show Information at the Museum of Modern Art, New York.
After working out a sculptural aesthetics closely bound up with a prehispanic world view, he continued, starting in 1971, to work in Argentina. In 1985 he was a part of the Argentine delegation to the 18th São Paulo Bienal, in Brazil. During this period, he was an instructor at the Escuela Superior Ernesto de la Cárcova.
He received numerous honors, among them: the First Prize at the Salón Telecom Argentina (1995), First Prize at the Salón Banco de la Provincia de Buenos Aires (1999), the Grand Prize at the National Painting Salon (2001), the Konex Prize (2002), the Arlequín de Oro Prize of the Fundación Pettoruti (2002), and the Rosario Prize of the Fundación Castagnino (2003). In 2007 he created the mural Homenaje al artista artesano [Homage to the Craftsman Artist] at the Museo de Arte Popular José Hernández. He was declared an Illustrious Citizen of the Province of Buenos Aires (2008), a Member in Full Standing of the Academia Nacional de Bellas Artes, a curator in the “Ojo al País” (Eye on the Country) project, and a member of the Advisory Council of the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes. In homage to his work as a teacher between March and May of 2014, the Museo de Calcos y Escultura Comparada (Museum of Replicas and Comparative Sculpture) “Ernesto de la Cárcova” organized the exhibition Alejandro Puente. Huellas sensibles [AP: Perceptible Traces], curated by Cristina Rossi. In 2015 the Fundación OSDE Art Space presented the show Alejandro Puente. Abstracción y tradición americana, organized by Mariana Marchesi.
His work is represented in major collections, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York), the Museum of Modern Art (New York),
Dallas Museum of Art, Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes (Buenos Aires), Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Buenos Aires, Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía (Madrid).
After working out a sculptural aesthetics closely bound up with a prehispanic world view, he continued, starting in 1971, to work in Argentina. In 1985 he was a part of the Argentine delegation to the 18th São Paulo Bienal, in Brazil. During this period, he was an instructor at the Escuela Superior Ernesto de la Cárcova.
He received numerous honors, among them: the First Prize at the Salón Telecom Argentina (1995), First Prize at the Salón Banco de la Provincia de Buenos Aires (1999), the Grand Prize at the National Painting Salon (2001), the Konex Prize (2002), the Arlequín de Oro Prize of the Fundación Pettoruti (2002), and the Rosario Prize of the Fundación Castagnino (2003). In 2007 he created the mural Homenaje al artista artesano [Homage to the Craftsman Artist] at the Museo de Arte Popular José Hernández. He was declared an Illustrious Citizen of the Province of Buenos Aires (2008), a Member in Full Standing of the Academia Nacional de Bellas Artes, a curator in the “Ojo al País” (Eye on the Country) project, and a member of the Advisory Council of the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes. In homage to his work as a teacher between March and May of 2014, the Museo de Calcos y Escultura Comparada (Museum of Replicas and Comparative Sculpture) “Ernesto de la Cárcova” organized the exhibition Alejandro Puente. Huellas sensibles [AP: Perceptible Traces], curated by Cristina Rossi. In 2015 the Fundación OSDE Art Space presented the show Alejandro Puente. Abstracción y tradición americana, organized by Mariana Marchesi.
His work is represented in major collections, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York), the Museum of Modern Art (New York),
Dallas Museum of Art, Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes (Buenos Aires), Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Buenos Aires, Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía (Madrid).