In the different themes that Jorge Contreras has developed, the city and nature are always present and closely related. In these settings, man is absent and gives way to an urban territory, with emotional atmospheres, inhabited by symbolic elements – frequently buildings and types of transportation – that function as vestiges of collective histories.
Contreras’ artistic proposal is identified with an ethical meaning, of social and ecological awareness. And this is precisely the point of connection with the series of comic book superheroes, which since 2017 he has been incorporated into his repertoire. For the artist, characters like Mickey Mouse, Popeye and Olivia, Spider-Man, Star Wars, Astroboy, Betty Boop, among many others, have marked important moments in our lives. These images promoted a change in the foundations of visual culture, and pointed the gaze towards the ‘social life of images’. They also took up the inheritance of the mythology of the hero or anti-hero, as an idealized figure with supernatural powers and attributes of great nobility and virtues.
In the current situation, one of the most difficult experienced in recent times, and the first of planetary scope, it is not by chance that special relationships are re-created with these figures that are installed in the collective imagination. This series of superheroes brings us closer to a joyful posture of life and to the feelings of love, of a friendly disposition, ability to fight and courage, so needed at this time. However, this positive and simple-looking reading leaves the warning that something else is going on. Humor and irony lead us to think about the need to reconcile ourselves with these qualities in the middle of crisis and loss. These images connect us with the enthusiastic confidence of transformation towards the positive.
Anny Bello
Feature Video Artist
Artworks
CV
1993
→ “Ghatos”. Galería Viva México, Caracas, Venezuela.
1994
→ “Zoo-logico”. Galería América, Caracas, Venezuela.
1996
→ “Civitas Animalis”. Centro Municipal de Integración Cultural CEMIT, Miranda, Venezuela.
1998
→ “Urbs Coloris Silvestris”. Sala Pequiven, Caracas, Venezuela.
2000
→ “Ignis Animalis Rarum”. Ateneo de Valencia. Estado Carabobo
2005
→ “Urbis-CCS”. Universidad Simón Rodríguez, Falcón, Venezuela.
2006
→ “Karibú”. Muestra de Food Art, Club Santa Paula, Caracas, Venezuela.
2007
→ “Urbis-Bicy-07”. Biblioteca Paul Harris, Caracas, Venezuela.
2010
→ “Movilis urbanus”. Ateneo de la Victoria, Maracay, Venezuela.
2012
→ “Bicicletas urbanas”. Galería Algo de Mi, Caracas, Venezuela.
2013
→ “Dos visiones del arte. Bicicletas urbanas de Jorge Contreras y Miguel Duarte”. Instituto de las Artes de la Imagen y el Espacio, Caracas, Venezuela.
2016
→ “Urbis-Bicy”. Salón VIP Altamira Village, Caracas, Venezuela.
1992
→ VI Bienal Nacional de Dibujo. Museo Alejandro Otero, Caracas, Venezuela.
1993
→ 51 Salón de Artes Visuales Arturo Michelena, Valencia, Venezuela.
1995
→ Galería Mur Mur. París, Francia.
1996
→ “l7 Artistas venezolanos en Mallorca”. Mallorca, España.
1997
→ “17 Mini Print Internacional Cadaques 97”. Girona, España.
1998
→ Salón de Arte maestros y jóvenes de hoy. Espace Eifeel, París, Francia.
1999
→ IV Subasta Arte Latinoamericano. Sala RG, Casa Rómulo Gallegos, Caracas, Venezuela.
2002
→ Primera Bienal de Arte de la FAU. Universidad Central de Venezuela, Caracas, Venezuela.
2004
→ “Veneartecao”. Sala Word Trade Center, Curacao.
2005
→ “Arte in scatole”. Centro D’arte e Cultura, Il Ramo D’oro, Napole, Italia.
2006
→ FIA’06, Feria Iberoamericana de Arte. Stand Venezuela sin límites, Caracas, Venezuela.
2007
→ VII Bienal Nacional de Artes Plásticas de Puerto La Cruz. Anzoátegui, Venezuela.
2008
→ Galería Latin American Art. Ginebra, Suiza.
2009
→ V Bienal de Maracaibo. Museo de Arte Contemporáneo del Zulia, Venezuela.
2010
→ “Collection of Latin American Art”. Galería Altamira, Bogotá, Colombia.
2011
→ “Arte con aroma de café”. Galería Frida Kahlo, Universidad Autónoma de Sinaloa, México.
2014
→ “For the love of art. Collection of Latin American Art”. Galería Altamira, Vancouver, Canadá.
2018
→ “Art Miami Week Expo 2018”. Humboldt International University, Hernán Gamboa Gallery, Florida, Estados Unidos.
1992
→ Mención Honorífica en Pintura en el Salón Artistas Noveles Seguro Carabobo, Valencia, Venezuela.
1993
→ 4 º Premio “Papeles Maracay”, XIII Salón Anual Municipal de Pintura, Aragua, Venezuela.
1995
→ 1995 1er Premio de Pintura, VI Salón de Artes los Salías, Miranda, Venezuela.
1999
→ Mención Honorífica, XXVII Salón Nacional de las Artes del Fuego, Valencia, Venezuela.
2001
→ Premio Municipal Jacobo Borges, Salón Municipal de Arte Juan Lovera, Museo Caracas, Venezuela.
2002
→ Reconocimiento 1era Bienal de Arte FAU, otorgado por la Facultad de Arquitectura de la Universidad Central de Venezuela, Caracas, Venezuela.
2004
→ Medalla Oficial en su Tercera Clase (Bronce) otorgada por la Universidad Pontificia Salesiana de Roma, Italia.
2006
→ Mención Museo Sacro de Caracas, Caracas, Venezuela.
2007
→ Premio Rafael Rosales, VII Bienal Nacional de Artes Plásticas de Puerto La Cruz, Galería Municipal de Arte Moderno de Puerto la Cruz, Anzoátegui, Venezuela.
2011
→ Mención Especial en Pintura, 31 Salón de Pintura Ateneo de Carúpano, Sucre, Venezuela.
2014
→ Mención Honorífica, XLIII Salón Municipal de Artes Visuales Juan Lovera, Caracas, Venezuela.