Website

http://nationsrhallucinations.bandcamp.com/album/postcards

College / University

Escuela de Artes Plasticas de Puerto Rico/ Northeastern Illinois University

Program / Degree

Digital Media/Painting/Studio Art

Graduation

May 25, 2007

Member type

Artist, Curator, Museum, Producer, Other

If you're an artist, what kind of art do you make?

Conceptual, Digital, Event, Installation, Painting, Photography, Printmaking, Sculpture, Video

I am...

I was born in Rio Piedras and raised in Saint Just, Trujillo Alto, Puerto Rico. Coming from a working class family, I was never into any art growing up.
In 1986,I discovered punk rock music and eventually the local scene. In August 1990 I co-conceptualized/co- founded the local pioneer punk in Spanish band RECHAZO SOCIAL (1990-1992), which eventually became LOPODRIDO (1993-1997). I played guitar as well as contributed lyrics and music for its first two classic and reputation building albums.

Although moved by all the graffiti and street art I saw on several trips in the 80’s to New York visiting relatives, it was the discovery in1987 of the outsider artwork featured in N.Y .Bad Newz underground zine, which inspired me to do the band's collage posters. I would later distribute these all over the San Juan metropolitan area and use them as writing paper for international letters.

Sometime in 1991, my friend Rebecca introduced me to drawing classes and contemporary art exhibitions. Inspired by the EAP (School of plastic arts PR) and friends, I have continued to visit exhibits for the past 18 years.

I first exhibited some collages in New York in 1995 at ABC NO RIO, an independent arts space for a punk art show that was organized by Christine Boards. Moving to Toronto in 1997, I published a book of collages called Arte facto Schizophrenia Tercer Mundista. Also I started making mid sized collage paintings.

With this new passion, I moved back in early 1999 to Puerto Rico, where I focused on putting together a body of work on my own, which I eventually in 2000 used to enter as a full time student at the Escuela de Artes Plasticas de Puerto Rico. That same year I exhibited among EAP students in their first Viota gallery exhibit. After a lot of hard work and discipline, I became an honor student, won a trip to visit all the best museums in Spain, and received a scholarship in 2002. That same year, after unexpectedly moving to Chicago I submitted my work and was accepted to the Art Institute of Chicago, although I declined to attend.

It has been here in Chicago where I have exhibited the most in many diverse spaces from coffee houses, libraries, universities, parks etc, to all kinds of galleries.

In 2004, after working for CPS as an afterschool teacher of painting and reading for ESL students, I entered Northeastern Illinois University where I continued a BA in Art Education classes, an entered the Deans honor list. In 2012, I curated an exhibit called: Made in Logan Square at I am Logan Square gallery that featured four Latino artists from the community, the first and last exhibit of its kind.

About my artwork

I strongly believe in the transformational power of Art and it's million of positive possibilities. I have used Digital media, Installation, Painting, Performance, Photography, Sculpture, and Music as media to do my work. I can also produce digital art, graphic art, murals, interventions, and any other sacred cow of contemporary art. My visual/sonic/conceptual background has educated me in multi dimentional aesthetics. I also love to do site expecific work. The conceptual background , all of my old, sketche/ideas and current work are missing from online for obvious reasons. If you are serious about your enquiry contact me: conejoblanco72 at hotmail.com

Artists I like

Bob Z, Rebeca Nogales Molinari,Andy Wharhol,Gee Vaucher(CRASS),Winston Smith(DK), Reymond Pettibon(Black FLAG), Daisy Mora de Leon, Morgan Isaac Lopez,Jola S., Roberto Parrilla, Elizam Escobar,Mari Mater O’Neil, Jorge Felix, Edra Soto, Pistoleto, etc.



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Interests

I love to do site expecific work in whatever media is avaliable or more suitable for the space. I strongly believe in the transformational power of Art and it's million of positive possibilities. Music, Cooking, Life, Justice./http://coquiigloo.bandcamp.com/

What exhibitions are good at the moment?

Whatever they show at Chicago Cultural Center is excellent,
it beats all the paying museums for quality of work and it's free.
The street, Hyde Park Art Center.

Centre of the artworld:

New York, London, LA, Berlin, Beijing, my studio, online, nowhere and everywhere, another city