Jorge Benitez

annie campbell belcher

annie's website

Jorge Benitez

Castilian Conjugations Recent Paintings by Jorge Miguel Benitez

Artist Statement (In two parts)

Paintings, like grammar, have tenses. Some artists paint in the present and others in the future. Most paint in either the past or the conditional, and egotists tend to paint in the imperative. I prefer to paint in the subjunctive. It addresses the uncertain and the hypothetical. In Castilian it is an essential and difficult tense.

On a technical and conceptual note, I do not use any photographic or digital references. I paint exclusively from hand-generated drawings.

Jorge Miguel Benitez
2009



Part two: Why are the titles in Castilian?

I have no interest in identity politics, and I do not plan to walk in Angela Davis’ revolutionary combat boots. However, even without titles these paintings would still address the nexus of words and images, culture and history. Castilian has been the dominant language of Spain since the expulsion of the Muslims and the founding of the Spanish Empire in 1492. The language has a Latinate directness. Julius Caesar’s famous “veni, vidi, vici,” translates into vine, vi, vencí. The verbs imply a personal pronoun that can be dropped without losing the structure of a complete sentence. Furthermore, the combination of grammatical precision and conciseness with hard consonants and short vowels gives Castilian a staccato rhythm that stresses the speaker’s will. In contrast to Latin Americans, peninsulares, as Spaniards are sometimes called, retain a harsh, clipped sound that echoes the commands of Roman legions and Spanish tercios.

Still, it would be a mistake to think that Castilian lacks subtlety or the capacity for diplomatic assuagement. The subjunctive tense alone allows it to express horrors obliquely. I can say things in my native Castilian that would be unforgivably offensive in English. A simple diminutive modifier can turn a phrase into a mocking insult or a tender endearment. Love, cruelty, reason and irrationality coexist in an exquisite and delicate balance. The most pedestrian empirical observation can be expressed lyrically while remaining boringly factual. Formal and informal pronouns establish social hierarchies yet permit an egalitarian illusion. In short, Castilian defies objective detachment. The speaker can be cool or warm but never uninvolved. Castilian projects a lack of faith in reason even when the thoughts are rational. Lastly, these paintings reflect a linguistic and visual culture that revels in contradictions and accepts life’s unfair and arbitrary nature. Life, like art, can be interesting in spite of its meaninglessness.

Jorge Miguel Benitez
2009

Bruce Wilhelm / Jon Clary

Bruce's Site

Jon's Site



Here's the installation shots from their show at Eleanor Harwood in San Francisco. Two of my favorite people and artists.

Ella Watson

A dear friend of mine and of many many other people needs a liver transplant. There is a foundation set up to provide for the donor and her, that you can donate to and can receive art in exchange for your donation. Please follow the link to learn more and how to help. Ella loves you.
Help Save Ella

Bruce Wilhem

His site

Bruce Wilhelm

Bruce was interviewed and visited by Fallon and Rosof in Philadelphia a couple weeks ago. Great words from Bruce about everything, his process, his life, his painting and animation work.
Studio Visit Link
Bruce's site

Heide Trepanier

in my Top 10, yes!

Trudy Benson

Jules Buck Jones

Sally Bowring

In the Top 10

Jorge Benitez

one of the other top professors of mine...and I think the list is really a top 10

Erik Gonzalez

Erik, you crazy, rockin the chevron I think, is that right, chevron?

Bruce Wilhem

Bruce is forever getting better and better, enquiring minds want to know "what's his secret?"
The secret is he's a great fuckin' painter!
Bruce on Juxtapoz

Trudy Benson

Trudy's at Pratt Institute, getting her MFA. We makin' a "little" school into a bigger name, go VCU. Our BFAs go to the top MFA schools, I could give a long list...Forgive me Ms. Benson, having some internet trouble here but send me more images.

Erik Gonzalez

Erik is at Yale now, getting his MFA. Here's some studio shots!

Victor Vaughn & Ben Kehoe @ Transmission

TRANSMISSION
presents new work by

VICTOR VAUGHN (Richmond, Va)
and
BEN KEHOE (Pittsburgh, Pa)
Opening Friday, August 1, 7-9pm
Show runs August 1-30
321 Brook Rd. Richmond, VA 23220
transmissionrva@gmail.com
Gallery summer hours: Fri, Sat, 12-5
or call for apppointment (804.200.9985)

This show is the premier for both artists in Richmond.

Victor Vaughn lives in Richmond, and goes to school at VCU.
He has received multiple honors in the Painting and Printmaking
department there. Victor will be exhibiting an installation which
incorporates photographs and prints.

Ben Kehoe is an artist living in Pittsburgh, PA. He graduated from
Temple University in 2001. Nature, pattern-based medieval artwork,
comical violence, and uncomfortable situations are his influences.
Ben will be exhibiting a new series of acrylic and gouache paintings.
His website is www.benkehoe.net
Transmission