TWO » About José María Casas

José María Casas
January the 7th, 1981, Mar del Plata, AR.

He studied Ceramics (from 1987 to 1989), Drawing (from 1989 to 1993) and Painting (from 1993 to 1997) with teacher Marcela Angera. During 2006 he has done workshops on painting analysiss with the Masters Ary Brizzi, Hencer Molina, Lydia Tarica, Susana Fedrano, Juan C. Lasser, Salvador Costanzo, Daniel Perez, and Eduardo Mac Entyre. He continued working with Master Hencer Molina during 2007 and 2008. In 2009 Casas went to Ernesto Ballesteros’s workshop on artwork analysis at Mundo Dios. In 2010, he attended Sol del Rió and Leopoldo Estol’s "Encuentros de Dialogos Con Artistas" at Bruzzone Museum.

Trying to avoid the usual, Jose Maria has developed a strong personal style that outstands for its shocking but clear use of color, the balance and equilibrium of his compositions which creates the feeling that "everything is in it's right place", and his painting's great expressionism. His approach to the art materials is goes trougth the experimental path, and his creations are strongly influenced by music.

His work plays with the multiplicity of interpretations. He wants it, he goes for it. Instead of closing and imposing, his work tries to open and liberate, so as to trigger thoughts and imagination. For this purpose the author, throughout his process on material experimentation and composition, has tried to crush shape, freeing both color and audience from structure. When there is, or seems to be, structure in his work, it has been purposely faked, as a game that tries to seduce the eyes for a few seconds, triggering an acknowledgment and identification attempt, which later vanishes to leave the painting, once again, on the grounds of multiple interpretations. This search guided Casas to experiment with different mediums, which allow him to break not only shapes but also the plane.

Since 2002, he has had 80 individual exhibitions, 114 collective exhibitions and participated in 15 art fairs and 3 biennial exhibitions. His work has been shown in Argentina (Buenos Aires, La Plata, Rosario, Mar del Plata, Tres Arroyos, Quilmes, Monte Hermoso, Ushuaia, Necochea, Mendoza, Rio Gallegos, El Hoyo, Anquincila, San Jose, Quimilí, Resistencia, Salta Capital, San Salvador de Jujuy, Victoria, Colon, Miramar), Canada (Montreal), Denmark (Aars), Scotland (Edimburgh), Spain (Barcelona, Cordoba, and Ferrol), United States (New York), Honduras (Tegucigalpa), Ireland (Dublin), Italy (Bari, Ferrara, and Trani), Mexico (Mazatlán), Puerto Rico (San Juan de), Turkey (Istanbul and Ankara), and Uruguay (Maldonado).

His work has been reviewed by the following remarkable critics: Rafael Squirru, Alberto Giudici, Julio Sapollnik, Diana Castelar, Cesar Magrini, Pilar Altilio, Fortunato Roffe, Agustín Marangoni, all from Argentina; and Paola Trevisan (Italy), Francisco Arroyo Ceballos (Spain), Alberto Grossi (Italy), and Alison Rogers (USA).

His work can be found at private collections in Argentina, Chile, Spain, United States, Honduras, England, Mexico, Panama, and Thailand; at public collections in Argentina, Honduras, Italy and Mexico; and at Galleries in Argentina, United States, Italy and Turkey.

Besides his artistic duties, he is also works in the field of cultural management. During 2009, 2010, and 2011 he Organized Mar del Plata’s Contemporary Art Week (http://www.sacmardelplata.com.ar/); and During 2007 and 2008 he also organized “MODERNA”: International Art Fair of Mar del Plata, along with local colleagues. He currently heads the Gallery " 2577 Cabinet " in the City of Buenos Aires. He has also worked in the field of Cultural Journalism writing about contemporary art for the magazines “Brando”, “Ramona”, "Originarte" and the newspapper “Viento del Sur”; and was a columnist in the radio program " Marplanautas " (FM D -Rock ) and " Whats Up?" ( Metro FM ) of the city of Mar del Plata. He was also creator and director of BLOG " Art Mar del Plata " ( http://artemardelplata.blogspot.com ) and the Digital Magazine of Contemporary Art Post 7600 ( http://postal7600.com.ar/ ) .




Personal Information

  • Name: Jose Maria Casas.
  • Nickname: two-
  • Age: 35 years.
  • Birth date: January 7th, 1981, Mar del Plata, AR.
  • Place of residence: La Paternal, C.A.B.A., AR.

Education

  • `99 -`00 - 1st and 2nd year at Universidad F.A.S.T.A. Law Sachool, MDP, AR.
  • `01 -`02 - Continues Law School at U.N.M.d.P, MDP, AR.
  • From `02 on - Quits Law School and begins to study for his B. in Psychology at U.N.M.d.P.

Artistic Education

  • `87 -`89 - Ceramics workshop, Prof. Marcela Angera, MDQ, AR.
  • `89 -`93 - Drawing workshop, Prof. Marcela Angera, MDQ, AR.
  • `93 -`97 - Painting workshop, Prof. Marcela Angera, MDQ, AR.
  • `00 -`05 - Self-taught painting studies.
  • `05 -`06 - Bi-monthly analysis of paintings with Master Hencer Molina, BA, AR.
  • `06 - Engraving on cloth seminar with Julia Rossi, Inst. Cromos, BA, AR.
  • `06 - Analysis of paintings with Masters: Ary Brizzi, Lydia Tarica, Juan C. Lasser, Susana Fedrano, Salvador Costanzo, Hencer Molina, Daniel Perez, and Eduardo Mac Entyre, BA, AR.
  • `06 - "Artes Contemporaneas: Sensibilidad y Percepciones" seminar, with Alicia Romero and Marcelo Gimenez, Cromos Institute, Buenos Aires, AR.
  • `08 - Analysis of paintings with Master Hencer Molina, Buenos Aires, AR.
  • `08 - "Curaduria: administracion, diseño, y montaje de exhibiciones" course with Isabel Block y Carol E. Vitagliano, Inst. Filadelfia de Estudios Avanzados, BA, AR.
  • `09 - Watercolor workshop, Prof. Jorge Melo, MDQ, AR.
  • `09 - "Esbozo para una Teoria Estetica. Tiempo y Espacio: El paso de la poiesis a la obra-objeto" seminar, with Guillermo Lema, U.T.N., MDQ, AR.
  • ` 09 - Analysis of paintings with Ernesto Ballesteros, Mundo Dios, MDQ, AR.
  • ` 10 - "Encuentro de Dialogo Con Artistas", with Claudia del Rio & Leopoldo Estol, Bruzzonne Museum, MDQ, AR.
  • ` 11 - "Poéticas interdisciplinarias en la circulación del arte actual" course with Mene Savasta Alsina, U.N.M.d.P., AR.
  • ` 13 - Jornada "Destinos de la Critica" Centro de Investigaciones Artisticas (CIA), C.A.B.A., AR.
  • ` 16 - Beca LANP Art Institute "Arte Contemporáneo - Absorción y Anti-Teatralidad"

Cultural management and event organization

  • Director of "Atlantico Sur" Digital gallery.
  • Organizer of the series of collective exhibitions "Atlantico Sur".
  • Member of the organizing committee for MODERNA`07.
  • Member of the organizing committee for MODERNA`08.
  • Curator of the "M.A.M." Exhibition series
  • Director of "Arte Mar del Plata" Blog.
  • Member of the organizing committee for SAC MdP `09.
  • Member of the organizing committee for SAC MdP 2010.
  • Director of "Postal 7600" Contemporary Art Magazine
  • Member of the organizing committee for SAC MdP 2011.
  • Member of the organizing committee for Contra Congreso de Cultura 2011.
  • Art Gallery Director at "Gabinete 2577", Buenos Aires City.

Memberships

  • "Federacion Internacional D`Artistes Plastics i Visuals", Barcelona, Spain. From July 2005.
  • "Ferrara Collective", Italy. From November 2006.
  • "Asociacion de Artistas Visuales de la Republica Argentina" (AAVRA). From November 2007

Participations in books and CDs

  • 2005 yearbook of contemporary art, by Francisco Arroyo Ceballos, Cordoba, Spain.
  • "Creadores II", by Asociacion Aires de Cordoba, Cordoba, Spain, 2006
  • "The Americas Art Directory", by Arte al Dia Internacional, BA, AR, 2006.
  • "Diccionario Internacional de Arte y Literatura Contemporanea", by Francisco Arroyo Ceballos, Cordoba, Spain, 2006.
  • CD "Pazamorarte - Colectivo Tres", by Veneno Discos, BA, AR, 2006.
  • CD "Al Flaco Dale Gracias", by D-Rock, MDP, AR, 2007.
  • "Diccionario Internacional de Arte y Literatura Contemporanea", by Francisco Arroyo Ceballos, Cordoba, Spain, 2007
  • "Creadores III", by Asociacion Aires de Cordoba, Cordoba, Spain, 2007
  • CD & Catalogue "PREVIEW verano 08.09 indumentaria", by Observatorio Tendencias INTI Textiles, BA, AR, 2007.
  • The Americas Art Directory, by Arte al Dia Internacional, BA, AR, 2008.
  • "Forma Art Gallery: 20 years", by Galeria Forma, BA, AR, 2008.
  • "Panorama del Arte Argentino", by Ediciones Institucionales, BA, AR, 2008.
  • "The Americas Art Directory: , by Arte al Dia Internacional, BA, AR, 2009.
  • CD "7", by Alfonsina, MDP, AR, 2010.
  • CD "Satori", by Tantra, MDP, AR, 2010.

Awards

  • Mention of Honor at the XIV International Salon ACEAS, Barcelona, ES, June 2004.
  • 3rd place at "Salon Forma Invierno 2004", BA, AR. (Painting: "Ocaso")
  • Selected for the 4th National Biennial of Young Art of Mar del Plata, April 2006. (Painting: "Secret Window")
  • 2nd special mention from the Jury at the painting contest "Dia Mundial del Oceano 2007", MDP, AR, May 2007. (Painting: "Calamaris")
  • 1st place at "Salon Forma Verano 2008", BA, AR. (Painting: "Microscopica: Plasma Celular")
  • "Ercole dEste" at the "Traces of Memory" exhibition, Ferrara, Italy. (2008)

Benefit Activities

  • Auction "Super Tenedores", Comunity College, Mar del Plata - Years: 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, & 2011.
  • Exhibition "Artistas por un Cuadradito de Amor", Villa Victoria, Mar del Plata, June 2007.
  • Auction "MODERNA`08" in benefit of F.U.N.I., Sheraton Hotel, Mar del Plata, 17/01/08.
  • Exhibition "Artistas por un Cuadradito de Amor", Inst. Movilizador de Fondos Cooperativos, Mar del Plata, August 2008.
  • Auction "Arte por Juguetes", Infinito punto rojo, Mar del Plata, September 2008.
  • Exhibition "40 Artistas Visuales por el Cuadradito de Amor", Inst. Movilizador de Fondos Cooperativos, Mar del Plata, August 2009.
  • Auction "Arte por Juguetes", La Normandina, Mar del Plata, September 2009.
  • "Arte con los Qom", Centro Cultural Caras y Caretas, Buenos Aires, April 2012.

Conferences

  • Round table with Julio Sapollnik, Galeria Forma, BA, AR. 27/3/2007.
  • Art, Science, and Technology Forums: "Manifestaciones de la creatividad", Teatro Auditorium, MDP, AR, 28/08/2008.
  • "La apuesta por lo local; la importancia de la cultura para el desarrollo de la ciudad", MDP, 20/08/2010.
  • "SAC MdP, apuntes y anotaciones para una experiencia replicable", Contra Congreso de Cultura, Mar del Plata, 18/9/2011
  • "Presentación Revista Digital de Arte Contemporáneo Postal 7600", Centro Cultural de Necochea, 11/11/2011

Who own his paintings

  • Private collectors from: Argentina, Chile, England, España, Honduras, Panama, Mexico, Thailand, & United States.
  • Galleries from: Argentina, Italy, Turkey, & United States.
  • "Museo de Zamorano", Honduras.
  • "Cuadreria di Trani", Trani, Italy.
  • Mar del Plata Bar Association, AR.
  • "Cabrales Alberti" Art Space, Cabrales S.A., Mar del Plata, AR.
  • Monte Hermoso`s Popular Library, AR.
  • Mazatland Art Museum, Mexico.
  • Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata

Participation as a member of the judge

  • 1st Alfonsina Storni Painting Prize, Mar del Plata, May 2009.
  • 2nd Alfonsina Storni Painting Prize, Mar del Plata, March 2010.