Musician, promoter, and now visual artist, Curtis Santiago, is currently exhibiting his works at Grace Gallery, Main Street at 3rd.
Friends and supporters joined Curtis at Grace Gallery on Thursday, July 17th to check out the show. Santiago’s closing reception at Grace Gallery is August 7th, 10PM. More on the exhibition after the jump.
CURTIS SANTIAGO
july 17 – august 7
The progressive contemporary art gallery, Grace Gallery, has commissioned Curtis Santiago to produce a fresh and charismatic series of paintings for his show from July 17th to August 7th. With the full support of the gallery, Curtis Santiago has focused his highly energetic creative spirit into an exhibition that is destined to brighten the sometimes somber, intellectual landscape of Vancouver’s art scene. Surreal landscapes of high-density colour are meant to spark the imaginative spirit of the viewer and create an experiential dialogue with it’s creator. The exchange of positive creative energy is part of the foundation of Curtis Santiago’s intention, whether through his music , art or sociability. Drawing inspiration from the great masters of painting preceding him, Curtis Santiago has in this new show, paid homage to the revolutionary spirit of masters such as Matisse, Gauguin, Dali and his mentor, the Canadian painter Lawrence Paul Yuxweluptun. Please join us in supporting this great local talent. He is a highly charismatic, dynamic and intuitive artist who deserves full attention of the Vancouver community.
“I tune out the sounds and images of today’s youtube world and dive into my mind – there is no war, no ugly. Just mountains of pinks and purples and oceans of jellybean blue. In this world, Matisse speaks to me. He tells me that it is okay to be a pretty image-maker, to focus on the good of humanity, the simple appreciation that mother nature painted with the greatest brush. Through my manipulation of dried paint of various mediums, I have developed a technique that allows me to create three-dimensional worlds of color and texture. In one small section of a piece, an idea or emotion becomes a universe where the eye then takes on the role of explorer. The basic symbols of sun, water, mountains, trees are clear. I leave the rest to my imagination. In my final step I have added hand painted miniature figurines to represent myself or often my loved ones. As a child I created worlds with miniature toys I could escape to by simply getting eye level with them. I ask you to do the same; No war, no Ugly, just pretty. Matisse says it’s ok.” – Curtis Santiago
See you August 7th at 10PM!