Incredible Artists, Wonderful People

Hi everybody! Happy & Wonderful New Year 2013! I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas break and started this year full of new dreams, goals and ready to make each one of them come true!

Its been a while since I blogged about my favorite artists and what a better way to start the year than with this post! This time I go back home, at least virtually, to my dear Venezuela, to interview one of my favorite teachers, persons and ultimate accomplished & talented Artists!

Meet Ivan Salgrero Curiel, Venezuelan Cartoonist, Industrial Designer, Painter, Sculptor, Teacher, Poet and Musician.

Please give us a short bio, where you are from and when did you knew you wanted to be an artist & discover your talents?

Since my early days my parents noticed my hand's "uneasiness" and what I did with them. My first show was at age 9 in the YMCA a foundation that existed in Caracas. I taught myself art from there until it was time to have the greatest privilege I've had on the art world, because my son is my life's privilege ... what I mean is that I had the very great opportunity to learn with the greatest Pedro Centeno Vallenilla, (RIP) with whom I started drawing in a marvelous anatomical study, and color serigraphs and many more things with Carlos Cruz Diez. Later on, with a multifaceted artist who lived here in Caracas many years Secundino Rivera a Spanish maestro ... and from there to here, it has all been a mix of feelings, color and passion.

I am an atypical type, in many ways, I'm a gentleman as few, I'm a student of the quintessential things and a top student until I graduated as an industrial designer (IDC's 2nd promotion). I was born on a crazy day that is the sum of a few minutes and seconds left over of every year, for that day is not accurate, and is added every 4 years to our calendar, yes, I was born on February 29th, 1968 and have seen my birthday only 11 times! but that's not good! LOL, to turn 4 years all at once! 

Can you tell us about your work, Painting, sculpture? what message do you want to communicate?, what is behind your art?
Behind my art ... there are compilation of good and bad experiences, ideas and things I saw, lived, good examples that guided at times where I could not see the artistic light.


I describe my work in order of importance, what I do more and what I do least … Mainly I am a cartoonist, a specialist in the human anatomy, muscles and bones, I am also an skilled painter (my mediums, acrylics & oils) and a sculptor dedicated to stoneware, flexible molds and resin casts. I am also a musician and "maker of voices", I used to have 22 voices, however, not today! LOL! now I'm only 16 due to some vocal cords conditions. Lastly I am an industrial designer, since here (in Venezuela) everything comes already made, there is no market for innovations, and no place for our ideas. However there are some products for the packaging market and three-dimensional pieces.

What inspires you? Are there any influences?

Inspiration is something serious and delicate, it plays good things for you if the energy is positive, but it can also give you negative vibrations, which could leave a good lesson. We should take the everyday things and see a way to reflect them with originality, but certainly the things you live, affect what you do in any field. It is up to us to be smart and to know how to handle this sensitive balance, and make sure our work is not charged with a bad aura or too much sadness, as colors will always reflect our inner mood.

What are your challenges, dreams, goals?

My dreams are to finish 4 or 5 things I'm missing from the list of "100 things you should do before you die" LOL! Artistically speaking speaking, I would love to get to the Art Basel, or to a museum that I haven't visited yet with my artworks, at least in my country. I would also like to finish writing a couple of books that have been on the making for a few years, one of which is a reflection of the mind of a character like me, a  painter, a musician, an sculptor, a complete artist, a cook, a designer and maker of things, while being the father and mother to a son who is now 21, and who is a guy with good values, but irreverent as few. The other book is about drawing techniques and art.

How would you describe your art world & creative process?

My art world is a world marked by my own experiences, and the creative process is like a program of sensors and feelings working together with an intellectual part, that makes a difference. I'm not only a painter or just an sculptor, but an integral artist, (as I have been told countless times! hehe) You just have to have a balance, like Leonardo da Vinci once said: "put the intellect in your art because without it, you have no artwork" ...so I am full of sensations and feelings in a logic and a thematic way that works for me.

Any advise for aspiring artists out there?

My advice to any aspiring artist is this: Do not try to innovate anything, everything "grand" drawing wise, painting wise and sculpture wise, has been done. Don't do crazy things, nor believe that any three strokes or a squirt of ink makes you an artist.

To become a true artist you need to achieve some degree of maturation and studies, to know yourself enough to be authentic, and to have good influences and inspirations, use time wisely, ideas do not always come easy, however if you sleep and dream of something good, make sure to write it down.

Thank you very much dear Ivan!, its been wonderful chatting with you about your work, your roots, inspiration and plans. I am honored to have you as a friend, and wish you the very best in your plans and goals, as well for our Venezuela! :)

 xox
Adri

To learn more about Ivan and his art, visit him online at:
http://www.facebook.com/ivan.salgrerocuriel
http://ivansalgrero.com/
http://la-paz-caracas-venezuela.artelista.com/