Today we’d like to introduce you to Ivan Riascos.
Hi Ivan, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I want to start by saying I’m first and foremost an artist. Ever since attending an elementary school in Central Florida, I’ve always gravitated towards the arts. My father was a custodian at the local high school, and I would sometimes walk over after school and hang out in the art department as he worked. In my late twenties, I decided to pursue a career as an artist. For me, it was difficult to come to this decision since my parents were immigrants and wanted to instill in me the importance of a financially stable job such as a lawyer or something in the medical field. I was afraid that they would be disappointed if I told them I wanted to be an artist. When I finally told my mother, she said that it didn’t matter what I did as long as it made me happy and I was willing to put hard work, time, effort, and passion into it.
My professional life has always stayed close to the arts. I have worked as a picture framer, gallery assistant, photography teacher, art handler, preparator, and arts administrator, and I am currently an art school manager. I earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts with an emphasis in Photography from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and a Master of Fine Arts in Emerging Media from the University of Central Florida.
I work with different mediums and consider myself a multidisciplinary artist. The majority of my work tends to be diaristic but always related to the culture around me. Once I develop a conceptual idea for an art project, I choose the medium that best conveys my intentions and vision.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It has had its hardships. Primarily, questioning myself as an artist, my ability, and the message I’m trying to convey with my art. Is it relatable? Does what I’m creating matter? Being an artist is so embedded in my soul. On top of that, trying to find the time and space to create while at the same time maintaining financial stability with a full-time job to pay student loans.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I just finished two bodies of work, but in different media: mixed-media drawings and photomontages. The mixed-media drawings are from a series titled “The Cancer Sweet.” I used graphite, charcoal, and watercolor. All the images are related to emotions and thoughts about the experience of dealing with prostate cancer. This includes all stages from being diagnosed to the surgery to remove my prostate. The drawings encompass anxiety, uncertainty, and a positive outcome.
I have always wondered about the human need to generalize in order to better understand a condition- who decides what photographer best portrays a “true” image of American culture, or any group of people, for that matter? The photomontages are inspired by artist monographs. I’m appropriating the photobooks of two contemporary photographers who are known for capturing American culture: Deana Lawson’s self-titled book and Alec Soth’s Sleeping by the Mississippi. Without the influence of editors or the need to impose a blanket perspective of one ethos, I am bringing in my American Latino voice to create a dialogue and bridge the works of Lawson, an African-American woman, and Soth, a caucasian American male. I do not intend to constrict the images to a single-framed narrative plane, as the focus is not on storytelling. Instead, I focus on multiple sheets filled with images that flow to the edge of the paper and in different directions, reflecting an inner dialogue I am having with the photographers. The result is a 2D visual conversation that flows in any direction. There is no beginning or end; the viewer can choose where they want to step into the dialogue.
Risk taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
I just finished two bodies of work, but in different media: mixed-media drawings and photomontages. The mixed-media drawings are from a series titled “The Cancer Sweet.” I used graphite, charcoal, and watercolor. All the images are related to emotions and thoughts about the experience of dealing with prostate cancer. This includes all stages from being diagnosed to the surgery to remove my prostate. The drawings encompass anxiety, uncertainty, and a positive outcome.
I have always wondered about the human need to generalize in order to better understand a condition- who decides what photographer best portrays a “true” image of American culture, or any group of people, for that matter? The photomontages are inspired by artist monographs. I’m appropriating the photobooks of two contemporary photographers who are known for capturing American culture: Deana Lawson’s self-titled book and Alec Soth’s Sleeping by the Mississippi. Without the influence of editors or the need to impose a blanket perspective of one ethos, I am bringing in my American Latino voice to create a dialogue and bridge the works of Lawson, an African-American woman, and Soth, a caucasian American male. I do not intend to constrict the images to a single-framed narrative plane, as the focus is not on storytelling. Instead, I focus on multiple sheets filled with images that flow to the edge of the paper and in different directions, reflecting an inner dialogue I am having with the photographers. The result is a 2D visual conversation that flows in any direction. There is no beginning or end; the viewer can choose where they want to step into the dialogue.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://ivanriascos.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ivan-riascos-a3b63322/
- Other: https://vimeo.com/user9842187
