Argentine muralist Perez Celis is dead

Perez Celis, an Argentine painter, sculptor and muralist whose highly visible works adorned museums, banks, airports and universities as well as soccer stadiums and wine bottles, died of leukemia Aug. 2 at a clinic in Buenos Aires. He was 69.

Celis had burst into prominence by the early 1960s and became a prolific exhibitor in galleries and museums from Buenos Aires to New York. Although widely known for his abstract pieces, he declined to be identified with any prevailing fashions or trends in the art world. During the rise of Pop Art in the early ‘60s -- exemplified by Andy Warhol, Jasper Johns and Robert Rauschenberg -- Celis immersed himself in the indigenous art tradition of Argentina and Peru. In later years, he turned to more figurative designs from his studio in Miami. Besides his skillful use of light and shadow, Celis’ work resonated with many observers for its assertive, often juxtaposed geometric lines. He said such bold features were inspired by extended visits to the horizontal plains of the Argentine pampas and later to Caracas, Paris and New York, cities where the vertical skylines dominated the horizon.