JANUARY 15, 2022 5-9pm
OPENING RECEPTION: SIMON SILVA “Character & Characters”
Eastern Projects is proud to present, our first show of 2022, Simon Silva “Character & Characters”.
OPENING RECEPTION is this SATURDAY, JANUARY 15, 5-9PM.
Proof of vaccination or a recent Covid test (72 hours), masks and temperature checks are mandatory for entry. Once inside, social distancing will be enforced to keep us all safe.
Artist’s Statement
Works featured in Character & Characters are a new body of work from two ongoing studio series entitled HEARoes & Characters, I have decided to focus on persons with character and others that are just characters. We all have something to contribute to this thing called, “life”, specifically by helping others discover the truth about themselves. The truth is, that our greatest asset is our individuality!
I now understand the arts are an extension of my personal learning. I have extended my artistic interests to writing and public speaking. I needed a new direction and I decided to look to people that had inspired my personal growth and my existence.
Now, more than ever, we need to look to the arts to save the world, even if it happens one person at a time.
Life is still worth living when we fill our minds and our lives with things that are inspirational and motivational; things that help put us back together and become whole!
Artist’s Bio
Born in Mexicali, Mexico, Simón Silva received his BA from the Art Center College of Design in 1986. Living and working in Los Angeles, Silva’s work is rooted in exploring the hidden educational benefits that can be derived from the Arts.
Silva has embraced the Arts as the key source of his educational journey and personal growth.
For further information please contact the gallery at:
easternprojectsla@gmail.com or at (323)327-8020
@eastern_projects_gallery
Copyright Eastern Projects; All rights reserved.
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Body & Soul- The two words I’ve been thinking a lot about for the past several years. The tangible and intangible; both are of the utmost importance to all of us whether we like it or not. As a spiritual person, I want to believe in the immortal soul but maybe all we have is this time on Earth. The “Earth” is a leitmotif throughout this series. The earth composed of bodies, bent and twisted into configuration to create a sphere. Bodies that reach toward each other with compassion, empathy and above all Love and Hope.
These works were created before and during the pandemic that ravaged the world. Some works are reactionary. I needed to do something so I have works that are community oriented; Socially relevant narratives that deal with what has transpired in my/our world. I also have works that are “escaping” what has transpired, works of harmony and grace that are hopefully poetic. Art that is aesthetically “beautiful.” Bodies in motion and at rest. Sensual and spiritual, they can be the same.
My works are symbolic narratives that examine both public and personal themes, from pertinent social issues to more intimate matters. My methodology combines the dynamic interfacing of expressive lines creating a configuration or pattern unifying the surface, realizing and fusing together form, feeling and content. The juxtaposition of the abstract and the realistic, the balance of refine/subtle and raw/bold brushwork are utilized to express different feelings. Energy, color and composition are integral components of my work and together they evoke a sense of the spirit, the vital animating force within my being and my art. - Paul Botello
ABOUT PAUL BOTELLO
His works on canvas and paper have been exhibited in galleries and museums throughout California and the world. He’s executed 35 murals within the last 35 years, over 15 of those murals with his students. His murals have been featured in movies, history books, articles and a repeated segment of KCET’s “Sesame Street”. The segment is a demonstration of the mechanics and execution of a mural. His works have also been published in various books, magazines and newspapers.
In his continuous efforts to give back to the community, he has taught high school art for the Los Angeles Unified School District from 1989-present day. He also taught at a college level; Cal State University Los Angeles (painting) and at the Claremont colleges; at Pitzer College, he taught mural painting (1997 and 2006), and at Pomona College, Chicano art history (1998-2006). He’s constantly recruiting aspiring young artists to assist with his murals. He hopes this will instill pride, commitment and self- confidence among the young people that he works with.
