IN December 2017 I opened my first solo exhibit Strong Material at the Saturday Group Gallery. More than four months later, I am happy to announce that Material Maker, my second solo exhibition, will open at the Pinto Art Museum’s gallery on April 15.
For Material Maker, I am presenting abstract works with the same focus on the textures, sheen and colors of different materials. Ricky Francisco writes about the show: “These new works present a genuine exploration of color field and textural composition, and how these draw out emotions, similar to the body of work created by Jose Joya in the 1960s and 1970s. Succeeding in his first solo by harnessing the way metallic colors change depending on the quality of light, and how texture creates a raw emotional response, Rojas created a body of work which, for all purposes, are always news depending on the time of day, and the amount and quality of light which reflect on them.”
The new pieces are different as I added new elements to express many of the positive emotions I experienced while traveling to various places around the world. The works are also inspired, of course, by the magnificent racehorses I have encountered and after which many of the artworks are named.
Fiorella and other similar artworks follow the color field composition present in the pieces from Strong Material. This time, however, the works are more elaborate and more elegant in terms of composition. For Confetti and the other pieces like it, I used pure globs of pastel paint over metallic and pearlized color fields to come up with “a delightful and unexpected contrast.” The third type of artistic expression in Material Maker is evident in the pieces like Rhumaker 2, which use accenting elements of line, contrasts in both color palette, texture and shapes. Francisco describes it thus: “These works create a dynamism in the contrast created by planes and shapes, as well as in the addition of new texturizing material like metallic foil, minute glass beads, different earths such as pulverized volcanic rock and sand.”
Racehorses and art
I have always found similarities between the happiness I find in raising racehorses and in painting. I admire the raw strength and gracefulness with which the horses move, I marvel at their expressive eyes, shiny coats, and majestic form. The freedom that is experienced by the body when riding may be likened to the freedom of the mind when one is in the flow of painting. The grace of movement and the grace by which the artist’s hand brings forth beauty are parallels that have not escaped my notice.
To be able to raise champion racehorses, one needs to carefully select the mare and the stallion, train the horse consistently and groom it carefully. In painting, on the other hand, the artist also meticulously chooses the elements that go into the work (paints, varnish, finishes), frames it well, and presents it in the most appropriate venue for an appreciative audience. The process of creating something magnificent may be long and tedious, but is definitely filled with passion and dedication to both process and outcome.
Therefore, I present you with an invitation to come and see my new works for Material Maker, my second solo art exhibition, at the Pinto Art Museum starting April 15. It would be my pleasure and honor to meet you there.