During these days of January VON was pleasantly surprised to discover that Víctor Rodríguez, a well renowned Mexican painter who is considered a contemporary leader of a new generation of internationally recognized artists, was spotted vacationing with his girlfriend in Nosara, staying at L’acqua Viva Resort, where three of his works are on display.
Víctor had been to Costa Rica on two previous occasions, always staying in San Jose as the Klaus Steinmetz Gallery represents his work but, after three years without taking any time off, he decided to visit Nosara. What he’s liked the most is that it is precisely the opposite of Brooklyn, N.Y, where he's lived for the past 16 years. For Víctor, the perfect weather along with the sun, beaches, rainforest and the peace and quiet of not having to deal with constant media exposure and publicity, “is the perfect recipe for a vacation”.
He has exhibited extensively internationally, including the Museum of Contemporary Art in San Diego, California and the Flint Institute of Contemporary Art in Monterrey, Mexico. In 2002, he was awarded First Prize at the XI Rufino Tamayo Biennial in Mexico City. These are just some of the many exhibits and awards that this artist has received.
Born on January 14th, 1970, Víctor Rodríguez is an artist of great reputation, known mainly for his photography and painting work. He uses photography as guidance to maintain great clarity in what he wishes to paint, getting his brush to transform pictures into paintings.
He did not study art at any school, developing his projects through self-learning and, ever since he began painting, all his works are acrylic on canvas. “Art is just a thing and painting is a language, just as there are many others, such as music. My interest has always been strictly in paintings", explained Victor.
His paintings are inspired on women, who are his main object of study. For many years, he painted his ex-wife, as well as his 13-year-old daughter as he's seen her grow, becoming enriched while slowly watching her become a woman, “she is the most important part of my life”, he affirms.
He also uses models, taking pictures before painting them while depicting a certain type of scene or, as he calls it, "a frozen piece of film". It is that image which he uses as reference for his future painting.
His relationship with the women he paints is strictly professional, but confesses that occasionally he has become romantically involved, “it is not a condition, it has nothing to do with the painting", he explains.
To select the woman who will depict a certain character or role, Víctor relies on past casting sessions. His creations shy away from portraits, since they do not represent the person's own identity, it is simply acting.
He does not believe he is part of the hyperrealism movement, although his paintings are considered as such. In his opinion, hyperrealism is a painting with an optical trap, so Victor classifies his own paintings as “photorealism” and, although their visual appearance is that of a photograph, the idea is for them to look more like a movie screen projection.
The owners of L’acqua Viva Resort own three of Victor's original paintings but due to the inclement Nosara weather, decided to make copies and display them at their resort. When asked what he would say to his future audiences, Victor's advice is for them to project themselves onto the work, "that is what a good art piece does. I don't believe that what I can say about a painting is important, I actually think it is a distraction that will detract from the experience that a viewer may have with a certain painting". |
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