THE THREE DIMENSIONS OF JIM AMARAL F R O M L I N E T O V O L U M E I met JimAmaral in early on the occasion of an exhibition I had the privilege of organizing for the Galería Belarca . His work made a deep impression on me, mainly because of its aesthetic achievement and its content, which cast light on certain intimate aspects of the human condition, but also for its obvious differ- ence from the art that was being produced in Colombia at the time. at work ranged in avante garde expression from some painters’ skillful acrobatics to hide the derivation of their work from American Pop art (Andy Warhol in particular); the inten- tions of young sculptors to broaden the attributes of figures in space by way of making geometric art; and the creation of con- ceptual art, which was still very rare at the time. I initially thought this nonconformity owed undoubtedly to the artist’s American origins, which exempted him from any burning desire to update what was happening in Colombian art. Yet when considering his work in relation to the art that was being produced in his native country, where minimalism and conceptualism were predominant, I was able to see that in this context, too, his output brought singular values and objectives to the fore, as well as an unparalleled sensibility whose direct and unequivocal expression has become one of the most notable achievements of his work. I realized then that Amaral was not interested in locating himself on the supposedly obligatory road map of Western art and that for him art was not a matter of an advance or rear guard, as it was understood in the modern period and still is today in the age of globalization, but something personal, closely linked to in- ternal precepts, to his own sensibilities, impulses, and thoughts, without regard for consensus or the dogmas proclaimed and ap- proved by artistic circles. I was particularly struck by his lack of interest in conveying in- sights about the outside world, which was then common and con- tinues to be so today, but rather in his innermost ideas, thoughts, C H A P T E R V The three dimensions of JimAmaral B Y E D U A R D O S E R R A N O . Jim in his studio,  . Previous spread: . Jim in his studio, €‚ .