I believe in the return to the absolute, to poetry by poetry, in the impossible balance of things, in the unattainable essence of matter, in vibration that orders chaos. In short, I believe in art without artifice.
Artist Jorge Usán believes that art and life are indivisible, and talks about his search for the essential
Take us to the beginning of your story. How did your tryst with art begin?
My journey in the art world began when I was ten years old. That is an age when kids start losing interest in the standard education system. I began to build my own world, which even today constantly populates my universe with new forms, structures, spaces and time.
Tell us about the evolution of your practice.
Gradually the focus of my work has been on the search for the essential, in the purity of each element that makes up the work, from the macro to the micro and vice versa. In these last years, I have incorporated different disciplines through collaborations with musicians, engravers, engineers and artisans. I believe in the multidisciplinary idea of art. That way we can expand the limits of creation, where the primary idea is not dissolved in the process.
Tell us what makes your journey memorable?
Personally, the most memorable moments come with experience as you navigate through the creative process. There are moments of almost magical connection, where everything is ordered by itself in an almost unreal way. These come by through trial, error and experimentation that do you as a creator. One only has to be very attentive to every detail, every form, each reaction and each interaction to find these exciting moments.
What inspires you? Take us through your process and continuous frameworks of reference.
My creative process is slow. I meditate on granting each small element a unique character that contributes to the joint assembly a unique quality, which makes it capable of transmitting that peculiarity to the observer.
What is the primary role of an artist? How do you describe yourself in the context of challenging people’s perspectives via your work and art?
I believe in the return to the absolute, to poetry by poetry, in the impossible balance of things, in the unattainable essence of matter, in vibration that orders chaos. In short, I believe in art without artifice.
How do you balance art and life?
Art and life are indivisible. One works to materialise ideas and thoughts borne out of observation and daily filtering. With the years, one becomes more conscious of the intrinsic trade-off in creation and how one overcomes goals. That makes it possible to return to the beginning of the circle and build newer and better pieces again and again, in a dance without beginning or end.
How do you deal with the conceptual difficulty and uncertainty of creating work?
I think that the work itself guides you, showing you the way forward to the next one. It gives shape, little by little, in a continuous succession of attempts to reach the intangible
How does your audience interact and react to the work?
I would like to think that the public finds a world to get lost in my work, and in turn finds something new – a spot populated by corners, regions and suggestive textures where one can project the vision and imaginary quality of each element, so that time stops for a fraction of a second. A work of art ends in the psyche.
What are you looking for when you look at other artists’ work? Which shows, performances and experiences have shaped your creative process?
For me it is about something that captures my imagination. It could be a grain of sand to a galaxy, from the smaller movement to a musical note held in time. These ephemeral events expand in my mind. I think that is the primary work of an artist – to raise the state of matter and feelings to a higher level by filtering and synthesis.
What have you observed in artists in flow?
Most artists with whom I have interacted over the years, I have found have certain gifts or curses in common, such as the innate capacity to take refuge in its inner world, a continuous sensation that reality is not enough and the need to feel beauty because of the hypersensitivity that surrounds them.
What is that one thing you wished people would ask you but never do?
“You need my jet? It is ready and loaded”… hahaha!
How does your interaction with a curator, gallery or client evolve from the initial interface to the working-involvement-relationship? How do you feel about commissions?
I think that curator, galleries and client relationship should be based on respect and excellence. Both parties must make a joint effort for the sake of creativity and innovation, always supporting, as far as possible, the creative universe during the creation process and the exhibition and commercial process.
What are you working on now? What’s coming next season?
I am currently working on some new special works in between painting, sculpture and electronics, in collaboration with madFAVER Studios in Madrid, which will be shown in ZONAMACO in Mexico City, in a solo show at the Collector Gallery in Monterrey, and in ARCO 2021 with the SPAI NIVI gallery in Madrid. I am also working on some engraving in collaboration with Goya Engraving Workshop in Fuentdetodos, Spain. Besides that, I am also preparing for some new sculptures, paintings and editions for different group shows around the world.
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