'Artists can ruin your perfect monochromatic and boring life.'
Carlos Fentanes is an artist originating from Mexico and now living in Canada. He utilises an array of media to complete his artworks, including paint, ballpoint pens, pencils and charcoal, with an emphasis on finely detailed figurative pieces and still life paintings.
Where is your current studio? What would be your dream studio?
My Studio is at the basement of my house for the same reason I use almost exclusively artificial light.
My dream studio... I don’t know I can say the obvious like a house with north windows and plenty of space for big canvas but no, I don’t think so, my dream studio is my basement with poor light but close to my family I don’t want to change it right now. Do you prefer to work in silence or does certain music inspire you?
I work in silence most of the time but I certainly like music, all kind of music, and when I’m saying all kind of music I literally think so, so in my phone I have a mix of Gregorian chants, sacred music ( from all over the world: Christian, Muslim, Tibetan, Hindi), rock, Mexican, Frank Sinatra, Musicals, Elvis, Country, Hip Hop… you name it… I like to hear music when I’m driving my car or traveling but not when I’m working on art. Studio life can lead to isolation, how do you address this/ keep a balance?
Well that’s not a problem for me because I have a nine to five job and just spent a couple of hours in my studio so my daily job keep me in balance, but also I belong to several groups: I’m part of Artist of Uxbridge and we gather twice a month, and also the virtual groups in Facebook like Canadian Artists, Ibex Insiders, so there’s always a way to chat about art.
Describe a moment you had an epiphany concerning your creative life.
Last month I had a critique session with David Wilson and Gabriel Picart and they express their concerns about the angle of the model in the composition of one of the works, they said something that the angle of the viewer affected the proportion of the body and head. I had a formation background in architecture and perspective was one of my favorite classes when I was studying and I realize that as you put the viewer closer to the objective, the angles become more exaggerated. So that critique help me to understand better the works of Michelangelo at the Sistine Chapel or the Arnolfini Portrait from Van Eyck: if you observe this works you will notice some kind of deformation even if the proportions are ok, this deformation came from their point of view: they draw very close from their model and this create a dramatic effect. I don’t know if I explain well or it sounds nonsense but how the body changes when you as a viewer are closer to it is something that I want to work more. What is your favourite/ least favourite part of the creative process?
Because I don’t have too much time for painting or drawing I have to be very conscious of every minute I spend doing it so I will say that cleaning and sharpening, even if they’re so essential and nobody can do it for me, are my less favorite parts. On the other hand, the most recomforting part of the process is to wake up early in the morning and paint as the first thing of the day. Do you have a personal mantra or quote which serves to motivate you?
It will sound silly but, in the movie 'Finding Nemo' Dory says: “Just keep swimming, just keep swimming” … I repeat it to myself, when I am working in a painting I know that I’m not going to finish in a day, nor in a week or a month, but eventually if I work on it everyday there will be one day when I will say: It’s finished, so just keep working. How has your style evolved and what contributed to the changes?
Moving to Canada changed the size of my canvases, when I was living in Mexico I had plenty of space for big projects, right now I have one painting in my garage that is 200cm x 160cm (78” x 63”) and it’s in my garage because it didn’t fit inside my house. So now I paint smaller sizes, but I try to use the same amount of time on them as in a big canvas which translates in more detailed paintings.
Describe an obstacle you have faced and how did you overcome it.
Censorship: my gallery in Mexico City after a year of work for a solo show censors most of my work because, according to them it was inappropriate for the space. I had to rework my paintings for 3 weeks just to adjust them to the “standards of the space”. That was the last show that I had with the gallery, after that censorship and the failure of the exhibition in general I decided to finish the commercial relationship with the gallery.
Nature versus nurture- do you believe you have inherited abilities from creative parents, do you have creative siblings? Can you identify environmental factors or influences which led to your choices or directions?
I don’t believe in natural born talent but, certainly there’s some kind of inclination or tendency that leads you to be an Artist or a Doctor or a Lawyer.
I can see it with my siblings, none of them have a creative side in Arts but they are creative at their work as Economist or Engineer.
I remember when I was kid, I liked to draw just as now but experience and formation had helped me to be a better craftsman as in every profession.
Is there something you regard as essential to your preparation or process?
Will and vision. You must have the desire and determination to start and to finish what you want to do. Detail a moment which was the highlight for you, thus far.
Maybe after my last solo show that was censored I decided to slow down and work just for me, if somebody else wants to see my work is welcome but I decided not to change anything of what I have in mind because of what the viewer can think of me.
If you could time travel, what advice would you give the younger you, regarding pursuing your artmaking?
Slow down and learn from others, everybody around you is willing to teach you something. How does your work respond to social trends?
I’m not sure, I’m a kind of hermit, I use the social trends to make a mock of them and I’m not worried about a new fashion style or having the latest iPhone or iWatch but I’m aware of all this stuff. I think in some way it should affect my work. What do you hope to convey through your work?
It is my way to try to understand how things work, it’s something similar to my electrical diagram for everything, so I’m not expecting to convince someone about an idea and much less change the world. My blueprints for ideas.
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