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| Shadow Canyon 54 x 72 Acrylic |
On
New Year’s Day 1994, Hilario Gutierrez faced the monolithic stone temples of Monument
Valley, Arizona and recognized for the first time his true nature. He returned
home two days later and began to paint. As an Arizona native with a rich
ethnic heritage consisting of Aztec and German from his maternal side, and
Yaqui Indian and Austrian from his paternal side, Hilario always identified
with the spirit of the American Southwest. This unique identity became evident
with his earlier paintings.
Hilario
believes that as an artist, he must be free to explore all directions and
materials to bring forth his creativity. He believes in order to successfully
create a piece of art, he must seek out and interpret all the influences that
pass through his conscious and subconscious self. These influences, what he
calls the ethereal chaos of his spirit, allow him an endless flow of creativity
and give his art authority and truthfulness.
Hilario
was drawn to acrylics as his medium, which allowed him to experiment with color
and form. He studied the work of master artists, in particular Gerhard Richter
and Dan Namingha, to develop and perfect his technique.
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| "Jewel at my Feet" 60 x 48 Acrylic |
Lize Brittin, assistant manager at SmithKlein Gallery, states the following:
One of the artists I am most drawn to is Hilario Gutierrez. One
painting in particular, "Jewel at My Feet", captured my attention and
keeps me intrigued. No matter how many times I look at the piece, I
never grow tired of it. Whether I stand far away or step closer to the
painting, I find myself getting lost in the colors and details. It's
rare that abstract art grabs me so thoroughly. I can see the influence
of the Arizona desert in Hilario's choice of
colors, especially in this piece. The reds, oranges, browns and greens
bring to mind landscapes of the Southwest.
I feel a
connection to Hilario's work, because it evokes an emotion in me that I
can't fully describe. There are no true patterns or intentional shapes
in the abstract work, yet there is depth and dimension. It appears to
have purpose, despite lacking any concrete realistic features. Hilario
states that a piece must have meaning for the artist. It is this meaning
to which the viewer connects, but his paintings allow this concept to
be taken one step further in that the viewer is able to ascribe his or
her own meaning to the work.
Through the chaos and randomness of the abstract piece, there is tranquility and peace. Hilario states, "We are continually bombarded with images, information and half-truths that produce a sensory overload. We begin to mistrust and show caution to what is around us. Think of the innocence of a child's drawing, how nothing guards you from wandering through it. That child's careless and unrefined attempt creates an innocent atmosphere that is universal to our humanity and well-being. Art, and in particular abstract art, can harbor the same safe journey that a child-like point of view does with an atmosphere that is open to connection and interaction."
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| The paints, brushes and tools of Hilario Guiterrez. |
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| Hilario in his studio. |
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| Hilario working on a painting. |
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| Hilario applying the paint. |
Interview with
Hilario Gutierrez
November, 2014
Q) Are there any subjects that inspire you more than others
or are you open to painting anything?
A) Deserts are my main influence, the exposed topography and
the dustiness of colors. I draw from the feelings and emotions I experience
when I explore all the seasons of the desert and surrounding land.
Q) Do you work on location, look at a photograph or create
what you imagine in your mind?
A) I don’t work on location but I do travel to all regions of
the Arizona desert. Someday, I would like to travel to other deserts such as
the Great Basin in Nevada or the Atacama Desert in Chile.
Q) Do you see any trends currently unfolding in your art -
developing techniques, new styles, different subject matter, interesting
colors, etc.?
A) I study the changes of other artists and I can be inspired
by them but I stay within my origins of the desert and vary the composition of
my art.
Q) Are you a full-time artist?
What is your studio space like?
A) Yes I paint nearly every day and usually for 6-8
hours at a time. And, like most full time artists, my studio is not big enough
even though it is nearly 700 square feet.
Q) Is there anything you would like to highlight about your
work in general? Do you feel like you have a message that you are trying to
convey through your art?
A) My talent is my own but it is for the beholder
to enjoy. The message is whatever
the beholder would like to take away from the atmosphere I create in my work.
Q) What inspired you to become an artist? How old were you
when you started creating art?
A) I did a number of creative things in my life such as
fine art photography and I was a Master hair colorist for more than 30 years.
But it was when I was 44 years old that I had an epiphany during a visit to
Monument Valley Arizona on New Year’s Day 2004. It was at 3 o’clock in the afternoon. I wasn’t artist but then, as the sun
shifted over Thunderbird Mesa, in an instant I was an artist.
Q) How did you develop as an artist? Did you take classes or
read about painting/sculpting to improve your technique over the years?
A) I am self-taught; I study and try different techniques
that fit my style of painting.
Q) Where do you see your art going in the future? What about
art in general?
A) That will be up to the historians.
Q) What advice would you give to anyone who is thinking
about going into art?
A) Do it for yourself first, don’t be swayed by opinion
and don’t be critical of other artists’ work. If you want to make a living by selling your art, in my opinion,
it is 80% business and 20% about the art.
Q) What keeps you inspired as an artist?
A) Getting started on the next painting.
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| "When You Come This Way" 58 x 48 Acrylic |
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| "Fifty Shades of Sky" 78 x 54 Acrylic |
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| "Last Glimpse of the Day" 70 x 48 Acrylic |
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| "Shoreline" 72 x 48 Acrylic |
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| "Winter retreating" 66 x 48 Acrylic |
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| "Light Bridge" 70 x 60 Acrylic |
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| "Clay Creek" 54 x 72 Acrylic |
