n a time when the borrowed mannerisms of John Currin and Odd Nerdrum are the rage, Salustiano García reminds us that a body of technique developed in service of nature and beauty can be more than mere, and questionable, quotation marks. The Seville based work consists of images which aspire to be more than almost-too-beautiful portraits: they symbolize our very act of looking. Painting, old master-like, people set in a deceptively simple abstract space in presumed Renaissance attire, Salustiano addresses not “a reality” but nature. The technical perfection of the works is the pretext to seduce the viewer. Salustiano’s figures watch us, pull us in, remind us of secret memories, and suggest, with their enigmatic look, that it is the glance itself, shot back and forth between the subject and the viewer that creates the work of art. The favorite subject of Salustiano is invariably the portrait. Born in Villaverde Del Rio, Sevilla in 1965 he received his formal education in fine art at the Universidad de Belles Artes in Seville. Salustiano mingles a profound sense of beauty with the emotion and expression of the gaze, thus creating an immediate connection with the viewer. While the exquisite surfaces appeal to the eye, the often-enigmatic compositions create a compelling sense of mystery that invites one to linger and consider. His work has been widely exhibited in galleries and museums all over the world. He also recently created the cover image for a catalogue to accompany an exhibition entitled “The Missing Peace: Artists Consider the Dalai Lama,” which explores art as a catalyst for peace and inspires readers to actively engage in pursing peace in their lives through art. This project seems uniquely appropriate for an artist who has been quoted as saying “Painting is a kind of sanctuary, like architecture.” For more information or to get in touch with the artist, just visit his website below.
www.salustiano.com
