Introspective. Observant. Talented. Grounded. Wry. Sensitive. These are a few of the adjectives that will occur to you when you meet this young prolific artist and see his beautiful, colorful art.
Agustín González, who our readers already know as the cartoonist who contributes a Yucatán-inspired cartoon to our magazine each month, has his studio in Itzimná. He was born in Jalisco, and at the age of 9 his family moved to California. At 14 he attended Pasadena´s Art Center College on weekends until he graduated from high school. His prime focus was drawing the human figure, and that sparked an interest in fine arts. He studied animation at Mt. San Antonio College in Walnut, CA. After graduation, he spent much of his time painting and showing his work, and then he started “Agustín Graphics”, working as a freelance designer and illustrator for small businesses.
Since 2005 Agustín has traveled and lived in some of the southern states of Mexico including Chiapas, Yucatán, and Quintana Roo; he always remembered a TV program he had seen on Yucatán as a boy. He is currently living in Mérida and producing new artwork. “My travels have influenced my art and changed my life,” he says.
Agustín Art Gallery is an excellent place to view and purchase original art pieces directly from the artist. From small ink drawings created on site, to nude figures painted in his studio to large personal satirical pieces, the work consists of ink drawings, watercolors and oil paintings at fair prices. The work of Agustín explores line, rhythm and feeling. “My techniques and subjects vary as I am faithful to my use of line,” he explains. He can express form with very few lines that give a simple drawing a loose and pleasing feeling. His ability to work fast and efficiently gives the opportunity for anyone who visits the gallery to take an original AGUSTÍN home.
In the evenings you may find him painting on the sidewalk outside the gallery. “People always stop to watch,” he says. “And then they go upstairs and see my work, and many people find something that they like that is the right price for them. I’m very fortunate, as I sell my work frequently. I have a Facebook page, and I even auction one or two pieces a week! This is a fun way to keep my art moving, and to keep it visible.” Agustín also gives painting and drawing classes.
Most of the subjects of his paintings are people; he sees the human figure as a dancer, and has an amazing ability to capture its movement or mood. He paints who he sees every day: a woman with her groceries, a guy waiting for a bus with a cigarette; everyday routines which tell a story. “I like to guess what their life is like,” he says. “Their pose reveals a lot.”
AGUSTÍN Art Gallery
Calle 58-A #483-A, entre 25 y 25-A Col. Itzimná
(Frente a VW Itzimná)
Tel. Studio 926 9797
Cel. 9992 62 45 10.
More “Face to Face” interviews
Esta entrada también está disponible en: ES
