ABOUT ME
As a 36-year-old Latinx, gay, male artist born and raised in El Paso, Texas, my work is a vibrant tapestry of my cultural heritage and personal identity. I am skilled in a range of mediums including graphite, ink, color pencil, charcoal, oil pastel, watercolor, acrylic, and oil. Initially, I studied realism, but my recent exploration of abstractions has led to the development of my unique style, which I term "queer abstraction".
This style layers colorful and contrasting organic and geometric shapes, creating a visual metaphor of a complex city or puzzle. This bustling chaos, combined with playful elements, reflects the complexities of queer life - a blend of joy, vibrancy, and occasional madness. My work often features the male nude body and erotic acts, the nuances of which may be missed at a cursory glance but become clearer upon deeper inspection.
Bright, contrasting colors are instrumental in my work. They not only inspire and energize but also encapsulate my experience of living a bold, Latin, queer life. Growing up in a society where being gay was taboo, I am now grateful for the freedom to live openly and express my experiences through my art.
My work draws inspiration from various artistic movements and artists. The use of color in Fauvism, the graffiti art of New York City, and the Mexican muralists have had a significant impact on my style. I also deeply admire the works of Jean-Michel Basquiat, Wayne Thiebaud, Vincent Van Gogh, and Ashley Longshore.
My recent works are acrylic paintings featuring two men in erotic poses, abstracted to a point where the content becomes obscure to the casual observer. This allows the painting to be displayed publicly, with its true nature known only to me and the painting's owner. It's a shared secret, unveiled only when a reference picture is displayed next to the painting.
The process of creating these paintings is organic, chaotic, and random. The resource images, mostly found on Tumblr, inform the subject of my work, while my experience with color guides the palette. As I paint, I often enter a state akin to a trance, letting the colors and shapes flow naturally onto the canvas. The resulting piece, an 'accident painting,' feels like a near-perfect rendering of queer abstraction.
Through my art, I strive to reflect the journey of embracing one's identity and the joy of living authentically. The vibrant colors, contrasting shapes, and hidden narratives in my work encapsulate my experiences and offer a unique perspective on queer life.