Dixon. BIO |
Bio: Juan Carlos Noria A confluence of cultures and contradictions, Juan Carlos Noria is a painter for our times. Born in Caracas, Venezuela he carries his Latin American sensibility on his sleeve. As a teen growing up in Ottawa, Canada, he became an accomplished figure skater. Grace and lines were an obsession. So, too were his ideas of subversion. He fell out of skating after hitting the rigid class structure of the sport, finding comfort (and discomfort) in visual art, on the streets with a paint can, postering, skateboarding, fleeing police. A strange opportunity then came. A world tour with Disney on Ice. It heightened his sense of absurdity, humour and anger, sharpened his visual and social awareness. Arriving back in Ottawa, he hung up the skates and his career took flight with live painting performances. So proficient from his days of graffiti, he quickly earned a reputation for highly resolved canvases produced in front of appreciative crowds. Through these events in various venues, Juan Carlos also ensured a showcase for other young Ottawa artists, raising the bar and pushing them to achieve with him. It was 2001-2002. Meanwhile, the tide of CNNesque culture rose in North America. Juan, always with an eye on pop culture and current events, found himself painting with increasing anger. He needed to change the channel. In November 2004, he moved to Barcelona, Spain to find tranquilo, a new view of the world and new audiences. Since his move, he has evolved, focused and become more prolific, with exhibits in Spain, the United States and Canada. True to subversive nature, he undercuts his own personality allowing himself to explore two other personas and visual styles. He sometimes works under the pseudonyms of royal or dixon. He has been infuenced by his contemporaries Mark Marsters, Pat Thompson and Dave Cooper. Yet, he is himself-singular Juan. He is without pretense, full of concern for others, quick to laugh and quicker to paint something ripe Medium(s): Pop art Influences: Dave Cooper, Diego Rivera, Degas, Warhol and Coleville. Other Arts: Graffiti Date / Place of Birth: 1968, Venezuela Mentors: Mark Masters, Dave Cooper, Diego Rivera Education: 3 Year Art Program at The High School of Commerce. Self taught painter Motivation: To kick some art ass Goals: understand painting techniques so I can become the Past Exhibitions: Select Group Exhibitions: - "Street Camp", Yves Laroche L'autre Gallery, Montreal, Que., June 2006 - WAR CHILD and ARABESQUE, "FREEDOM FIGHTERS" El Mocambo, Toronto, May 2006 - "Hinterland Who's Who", Fifty24SF Gallery, San Francisco, USA, 2005; - "Metal Pig", Orchard Street Gallery, New York,USA, 2005; - "Contrapeso", ADN Galleria, Barcelona, Spain, March 2005; - "Opposition Party," SAW Gallery, Ottawa, On. June 2004; - “Hype 3,” Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto, On. Sept 2002; - “Beatz and Piecez,” 3 Shows, 2002-2003; - “H.Y.P.E. 2,” A.G.O. Toronto, On. Feb. 2002; - “Visual Funk,” Toronto, On. May 2002; - “Dropping Bombs,” Gallery 101, Ottawa, On. Aug. 2001. - "Long and Skinny" Show, Mercury Lounge, Ottawa, On. 1999. Collaborations: - “Juno Awards,” Live Art, Ottawa, April 2003; - “Camarillo Brillo” Organizing and painting in weekly art performances, Ottawa, 2003; - “Grand Master Flash” Barrymore’s Music Hall, Ottawa, June 2002; - “Heavy Weight, Barnstormers & 15lbs” Montreal, Dec. 2001; - “Infinite Compact Sound System” Monthly art performances with DJ Duo. Community Projects: - “1st Annual Graffiti Festival,” Organizer, Ottawa, Sept.2002; - “Canadian Aids Society Mural,” Painted and Coordinated, Ottawa, Aug. 2002; - “Synchronicity,” McNabb Skate Board Park, Coordinated Live Art, Ottawa, 2002; - “Special Needs Initiative Programs,” Coordinated and painted, 2001. Other Exhibitions: -"Galerie La Petite Mort Gallery" Ottawa, On. May 2006; - "Art Guise",You Are Being Lied To, Ottawa, On. 2005; - "Savacou Gallery", New York, Usa, 2004; - "Art Guise", Ottawa, On. 2004; - "Le Petit Bouchon", Paris, France, 2003 - "The Victoria", London, England, 2003; - "Next Space", Kansas City, USA, 2003; - "Delphic", Toronto, Canada, 2002; - "Wurm Gallery", Ottawa, Canada 2002. Practicing Since: 1983 |