IB Visual Arts 2012

The Visual Arts are a way of understanding ourselves and interpreting the world we live in.
Finding creative solutions, making aesthetic judgements, experiencing a range of traditional and technological mediums and experiencing an awareness of our own and shared cultures are the goals we set our I.B. Visual Arts candidates.
At Academia Cotopaxi we ask our students to reflect and respond to their visual and social environment, using contemporary art and artists as models in order to find relevant ways of solving the problems of making art.
Senior students may also decode and even challenge aspects of art practice and the society we live within.

The Invitation to the Annual 2012 Exhibition at the  Ileana Viteri Gallery

'Fishing for Souls' Assemblage and Wall Drawing

'Museum Piece'  Box with Assembled Objects

The weapons and snares which are presented in my work are not only portrayed as traps, they also convey a deeper philosophical meaning which goes beyond that which is perceived at first glance. For example, in my installation piece "Don't Lose Your Head" the deer head, which was shot many years ago in the forests of Switzerland, was forgotten and then years later emerged in my house and became the centerpiece of the artwork. The fact that it is encapsulated within in a nest of branches in a sense returns it to the place where it was first shot. It has become a symbol of generations moving forward. The objects in my ‘Museum’ are paradoxically far too flimsy to kill, but havie been lovingly crafted and presented as archaeological’ exhibits.

'After the Sunrise'  Oil on Canvas

'Shipwreck' Oil on Canvas

Canvases serve as mirrors; they reflect what’s going on inside the unconscious mind of the artist. They don’t explain how complex our minds are but how abstract they can be, and I associate this with the automatic mark-making in my works. Many artists paint what they see and how they see it. For me it is impossible to portray what my eyes receive without passing it through the filter of my feelings, which alter the product on the canvas. This is why I intend to present emotions for the audience to construct a point of view in which feelings are necessary in order to interpret the paintings.

'Eqilibrium'    Oil on Canvas

'Nature Morte'   Still from Stopmotion Movie

 
Art and meditation are closely related, offering an intimacy between the viewer and the art work. ‘Still life’ offers the occasion for a ‘wondering and moving eye’ that is inclined to stare and move about the painting at the same time.  

The viewer is encouraged to find the purpose of the art work through meditation, as there are subtle elements that are not at first perceived. Colors are delicate in order for the viewer to be drawn into the work by a feeling of tranquility. Therefore my ‘Still life’s’ seek to provoke the viewer to contemplate art, not only look at art.

'Rise' Oil on Canvas

'Urchin' Conte Chalk

A hummingbird is such a small yet beautiful creature that’s not seen very often. When it is, even to the saddest or angriest person, it causes a little moment of joy and amusement.
In my life I have tried to see those small beautiful things and smile, even on the gloomiest day. These paintings highlight that feeling of enlightenment and joy with movement and color, but hide in an abstract way what the viewer is seeking to see. The element of cubism (straight and curved) challenges the viewer to seek for the image of the humming bird, just as in life we are challenged to see those little nice details. Once the viewer finds the abstract shape of the humming bird amongst the many colors of the painting, he or she might experience that moment of joy, just as I do, when I see a humming bird.

'Bytes and Pieces' Assemblage

'Ordinary Binary'

The idea of taking something out of its “natural environment”, taking it apart and reassembling those same parts into something with a completely different purpose is intended to be ironic. With my work I want to evoke in the audience an interest, understanding and curiosity into the programming of a dimension that exists around all of us.

'Weakness of the Flesh'    Oil, Acrylic, Ink on Canvas

'Hunger' Acrylic on Board

The art I create seeks to reflect upon human nature and the paradigm of our existence in the world we live in. It is inspired by everyday thoughts and spontaneous moments of mental lucidity. It is human nature to look for an answer to everything we set our sights or minds on. We are constantly oppressed by rationality but where is this taking us?
My work depicts this process of thought by using various mediums and styles including abstract painting and pop-art inspired imagery which advocates a more purposeless way of thinking and existing. The implantation of the idea in the viewer’s mind is that we as living creatures must absorb the broad spectrum of an idea, instead of trying to discern, classify, select and understand everything.

'Fearless'    Oil on Canvas

'Fragility I' Oil on Canvas

The sky, so vast, offers us endless shapes and colors. Compared to us the sky seems to be colossal, meanwhile we seem to be so tiny and fragile. However, this is not the only juxtaposition between the sky and us. As tiny and fragile as we may seem, in reality, we are much more complex not only physically but spiritually. Nevertheless, the sky never ceases to offer a continuously changing show in which the protagonists are light and clouds.
“When we look up, it widens our horizons. We see what a little speck we are in the universe, so insignificant, and we all take ourselves so seriously, but in the sky, there are no boundaries. No differences of caste religion or race”.

'Eve's Forever' Oil on Digital Photograph

'The Wound in His Side' Acrylic on Canvas

My work is an attempt to portray an exploration of the implications of moral relativism. What happens when everyone has his or her own truth? Your truth is a lie to me; my truth is a lie to you. Nobody is right, and the concept of “truth” is mutilated. Truth is therefore the one thing that nobody can ever manipulate. However, we use our opinions to paint over what already exists and try to make it our own. It is what Adam and Eve did by eating the forbidden fruit. The creation itself, like the pictures of the fruit, is perfect. The chaos caused by attempting to manipulate it is not.

'Hallway'  Acylic and Ink on Canvas

'Opened Doors'  Oil on Canvas

Hallway focuses on reason and confusion. The line between reason and confusion can be as thin as the one between chaos and order. Sometimes reason can be found through confusion, meaning that somewhere within there is something contained which ends up making sense. By giving this painting formal perspective I believe I have succeeded in offering the viewer sense from confusion as to what is real.

'Shifted'   Digital Art work with Box of Objects

'Phase Change'  Oil on Canvas

What makes a dream a dream? What elements of a nightmare make us afraid? What is happening when dreams change, when the feeling experienced inexplicably shifts into something disturbing?
Ironically, in order to understand the subconscious, it must be consciously explored. I have revisited dreams that troubled me and looked for ways in which I could consciously convey to the viewer feelings similar to the ones I experienced. With a surrealist approach, I’ve created juxtapositions of analogous scenes in a large scale and in the confined environment of a box. I have made digital worlds dominated by loneliness, danger, pain, obsession, and lost hope.

'Golden Times' Glitter, Modified Manniken

'Boxed' Manniken with Mirrored Box

Wikipedia informs us that ‘It can be said that nostalgia describes a yearning for the past, often in idealized form’. My work is created to represent this nostalgia, the deep feeling and memories that are capable to make you sentimental or angry.  My art is done with symbols of nostalgia,  especially  from the 60’s to the 70’s. It often deals with the fashion issues that were remarkable at that time, but seem inaccessible now.

'Flow I', 'Flow II'       Wood, River Stones, Twine

'Right Way Up' Wood, Mirror, Stones, Twine

At first I obtained my inspiration from artists such as Andy Goldsworthy, Richard Long and Chris Booth but I slowly started to turn towards nature for inspiration by looking at rocks, waterfalls and streams. It was here that my most humorous art began to arise, because I wasn’t looking at artist’s pieces and seeking how to incorporate their ideas into my art, but I was looking at nature, mostly water, which allowed me to be much more creative. I began to make ambiguous forms which punned on the human form, or to transform one material, such as water into another, such as rocks.

'Ode to Venus'       Oil on Canvas

'Sliced Venus' Oil on Canvas

Men in history, art, and literature have often selected women as subject matter, but my art seeks to expose women painted by women. When one looks at an art piece, there can be many interpretations derived from it. What I hope to demonstrate in my art is the irony of objectifying women as a woman. I am inclined towards a feminine approach to surrealism, with my pieces portraying bodies, statues and flowers which communicate fantasies, alternate realities and subconscious ideas.

'Outed' Inks and Aerosol on Canvas

'Left Alone'    Acrylic, Pencil, Printing Ink

My works are a statement on the brilliant cultures and wildlife that are less and less present throughout the world due to human impact. The effect that humans and our overpopulation has had on the world is tremendous, and my work comments on the fact that we are the root cause of this destruction. Our planet is suffering from us. The only way to cure this problem is to look into the future and realize that while everything is doomed to die, not everything need disappear tomorrow. Our world cannot last much longer with us controlling it; therefore we must let go of the reins before a shadow is all that is left of nature.

Cristian 2011

In both my paintings and my photos, I focused on human intervention on landscapes. Initially my investigation was aimed towards the beauty of Ecuadorian landscapes but my interest tended towards human alteration of the landscape. I portray these landscapes in photographs, paintings and pencil drawings.

Initially my photography was completely directed into capturing the beauty of nature. I focused on dawns, sunsets, and on the effects of sun light on landscapes. I wanted to depict the effects of the sun on the land, sky and clouds. But as my investigation went forward I noticed something in my photographs - as well as depicting the beauty of nature I noticed how much these landscapes had been altered by humans and they no longer are what they used to be. These completely changed the route and purpose of my investigation. From simply depicting the beauty of landscapes, now I want to depict something much more profound. I try to depict both the beautiful scenery that will pass unnoticed by most people and also the manmade scars on them.

In order to turn these photographs into actual paintings I am using both an abstract and realistic style. Instead of drawing manually I use technology to edit my photographs – I alter their naturalism. Although the landscape may look more like digital image than realistic photograph after editing, I try to keep the sense that it is a still a landscape.

In my final investigation I have actually dissolved the images with ‘drips’ and ‘runs’ of paint – reducing the beauty of Ecuadorian flora and fauna and symbolizing how we humans are destroying it. I hope my art will show people how beautiful our country is, and yet, how much we have altered it.

'Abandoned in Caguasi' Enamel on 4 Canvasses
'Driving By Chimborazo' Oil on Canvas

'Landscape Diffractions' Color Pencil

'Staring at Chimborazo' Oil on Canvas

'The Road' Oil on Canvas

'Three Horizons' Oil on Canvas

'Sleeping Tide' Pencil

'Stop and Look' Pencil

'Hillside' Oil on Canvas

'Hanging by a Rope' Enamel on Canvas

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