Biography
He was born in Concepción (Tucumán, Argentina), the 8th of March of 1966. He has a degree in Plastic Arts with Painting orientation, title obtained at the Arts Faculty of the National University of Tucumán. He is a graphic designer and photo editor of La Gaceta newspaper, Concepción (Tucumán, Argentina).
In 2004 he participated in “Encuentros de producción y análisis de obra” (Production and Analysis of Artworks Encounters), held in the city of Salta (Argentina), promoted by the Antorchas Foundation directed by Tulio de Sagastizabal y Pablo Siquier. In 2005 he was part of the artists’ residence El Levante (Rosario), with David Blandy (England).
His artwork is presented in exhibitions and permanent collections such as La Rosa / Multiespacio, La Baulera (Tucumán, Argentina) and the Contemporary Art Museum (MACRO) of Rosario, Argentina.
Vision of art
1. Choose a work that represents you, describe it in relation to its format and materiality, its relation with time and space, its style and theme; detail its production process.
I choose more than one work; I choose the series called “Maravillas Modernas”, in which I develop some common ideas presented in music, such as remix and loops. This group is composed by artworks like: “Usinas”, “Barco”, “Fujiyamasremix” or “Plataformas”, and they take as starting point images that had me completely fascinated: the illustrations of the El Tesoro de la Juventud Encyclopaedia (The Youth’s Treasures), edited in the 50s and that are filled with didactic drawings of the benefits of progress and technology. I consider them as musical tracks, and I re-configure them, I remix them and put them back in another concept and context. The procedure is to select the drawings and images fragments, I then take inner portions of them and I repeat, copy, paste or clone them. These are basic procedures of digital tools and machines. I used a similar mechanism with medical catalogues to create the “Operadoras” series. The difference is that in “Operadoras” the portrait was the conducting thread, and in “Maravillas Modernas” the landscape is more powerful. I’m not interested in presenting my artwork as pure art, made from nothing or that pretends to have an immaculate presence without an origin (that transcends to the spiritual world). I prefer the idea of the file as a material to be re-interpreted. I think we all act as an imaginary file that sticks to each thing we see or situation we live. In a way, I mean to divert, alter the course and recompose that background, to give it a new course.
2. In general terms, how would you suggest to approach your work?
Trying to assume how my artwork can be read is tough, because I don’t see a conducting thread in my works that stand out evidently, or at least, if there is something evident to me, I don’t believe in sharing it with those who can already see it. I can even say that it feels moving that I create works and projects and yet, I don’t always know how these relate to previous works. To speak about “body of work” (as if they could draw a uniform and homogeneous figure of my intentions), I believe would be the poor part of my work, and unreal. As time goes by, as time and my objects’ context change, my images and ideas also change and pass.
3. In reference to your work and your position in the national and international art fields, what tradition do you recognize yourself in? Who are your contemporary referents? What artists of previous generations are of interest to you?
I like the ready made and the collage. I also like the blue Klein and the drawings and cartoons. I recognize myself in several artists from the 70s onwards, some would be Fluxus, Richter, Brian Eno, the group B´52s, Rosemarie Trockel, Mark Dion, New Order or Stereolab. If I think it sincerely, the lines of influences are a little bit indecipherable. I’m stimulated and have feelings that blend very well with electronic music in general and some pop songs in particular. I like Gordín, Siquier and Flavia da Rin. I like the fact that Tucumán is a place that doesn’t like itself. A dense place where people produce and argue. I like Gerardo Medina and all the artists-performers of the second half of the 80s and 90s that worked in Tucumán. I like what Taller C did in the last decade.
4. Choose works or exhibitions from the last ten or fifteen years which in your opinion were very significant and explain why
The performances cycles held at the Alianza Francesa and the Provincial Museum (Tucumán, Argentina), between the last years of the 80s and the first years of the 90s. Octavio Amado in the Jockey Club’s underground. “Marca de Agua” of A. C. García in that same place. Everybody talks about “Tenor Grasso”, that worked during the 90s, but I didn’t see them. The short and rich life of La Baulera’s expositions. Rosemarie Trockel’s exhibition held at the Caraffa (2005), Curriculum Cero and Flavia Da Rin in Ruth Benzacar Gallery, Buenos Aires. The mega exhibitions of Kuitca, Dada and Fluxus held at the MALBA, Buenos Aires.
5. What tendencies or groupings from common elements do you see in argentine art of the last ten or fifteen years?
The tendency to copy and paste. The tendency to see so thoroughly how to do. To rush things over rather than care. To ask for help or delegate rather tan fix things alone. The tendency to see how different things are close together. To do with, for and over songs or pieces of music. To refer as the past as a payback time. To use styles as if they were colours.