Baltazar castillo's Page

Website

www.baltazarcastillo.com

Relationship status

single

College / University

triton cllege

Program

fine art - painting

Member type

Artist

If you're an artist, what kind of art do you make?

Conceptual, Drawing, Installation, Painting, Performance, Sculpture

I am...

an artist living/working in the city of Chicago. Recently I have begun work as an artist -in -residence within the Chicago public school system. This work has proven to be some of the most fulfilling collaborations between the students,the educators and myself as an artist. Presently I am exhibiting with the Aldo Castillo ( no relation) galleries in Chicago. In April of 2008 I was part of "Arte ahora" Chicagos' first Latin American Art Fair.
I have exhibited with Mongerson Galleries also in Chicago.
In Sept I will be part of a four person show at 'Society for Arts.'
In Oct I will be exhibiting at the Pilsen 18th street Open studios project. A silent auction of our works to be presented at the Mexican Museum of Art in conjunction w/ this project.

About my artwork

I write, paint, draw. I open my door. Many people arrive. In time I choose one ....I make a sculpture of this stranger who I have only recently met. Covering her in saran wrap, i rip and dip pages of a fashion magazine in starch. ( after recording the particular issue; Fall-2007 pgs 1-186) I apply the pages onto her body creating a mold. Often we talk. When I am done I leave the studio to fetch some drinking water, coffee. She remains 'curing' on the studio floor.
I return. Sometimes we talk. After a couple hours, I lift the skin from the person as she slides out from under it. Most often it lays in an almost unrecognizble wrinkled heap. She dresses I begin again. She leaves.
Working quickly I stuff the skin until it is full and recognizable but distinctly...different, making small adjustments while recalling things we said. Tucking here and there, adding volume there...smoothing carressing.

Later I begin to stitch our dialogue; looping, twisting, knotting half inch strips of prepared graphite covered canvas. Sometimes a fragments of a prayer is allowed to remain( a hail mary, an our father) when my mind wanders. Sometime a fox hole prayer with blashphemous undertones. When the thing is stated it is affixed to a painting. Sometimes trimmed like a hedge. And the sculpture is positioned on, in or around the vicinity of the studio ...wherever it was they stood ( in the studio) when we met.

Artists I like

Ewa Hesse, George Baselitz, Anselm Keifer, Sophie Calle, James Luna, Felix gonzalez Torres, Giacometti, Rodin, Jasper Johns, Diego Rivera, Christo, Christian Boltanski, Magdalena Abakanowitz

Interests

Observing
Writing
Reading
Organizing salon type readings in artist studios.
Collecting - junk
Organizing, labelling 'junk' for art making process
Many things as they happen outside my studio
Many things as they happen IN the studio ( developing realtionships w/ complete strangers that begin in the very intimate surroundings of the studio)

What exhibitions are good at the moment?

Jeff Koons at the MCA
Paul Nudd - Hyde park Art Center

The centre of the artworld is

London, Berlin

My artreview.com URL:
http://www.artreview.com/profile/baltazarcsatillo
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