Pablo Guillamón
Throughout your diverse career, you've exhibited in cities all over the world. How do you find that the varying cultural contexts of places like Barcelona, Paris, Zurich, and Miami influence the reception of your work?
For art, there are no borders. I believe that the people who appreciate my work do so because an emotional relationship is established between the images that I present in any of my works and the personality of the person who is seeing them. If the image is capable of capturing the viewer's attention and generating emotions or feelings, we are connected anywhere in the world.
Digital manipulation allows for a reinterpretation of reality. In some of your images, there appears to be a fusion of human figures with their environments, creating a sense of unity or tension. What message or experience are you aiming to convey through these integrations?
In photography, I modify images digitally to change the scenery, always respecting the context of the original frame. I like to work as if I were painting the scene; that's why I modify colors, lights, and tones until I get a work similar to a painting.
Your art has spanned both physical and virtual realms, particularly with the Mundoarti Virtual Museum. How do you approach creating for these different spaces, and do you find one more challenging or rewarding than the other?
I think we are beginning a fascinating era of virtual development through digital spaces that did not exist before. For me, it is challenging and rewarding at the same time to be able to show my creations in virtual spaces that are accessible from all over the world. Now art reaches many more people in this way, since it is easier to access it. By offering the public works in “limited series” as is usually done in photography and digital art, we can also make it easier for art to reach many people and places that did not have access to it before.
Being a finalist in competitions across different cultures, from Spain to Greece and the United States, how do you ensure your work resonates with such diverse audiences?
Being a finalist in any art competition is very gratifying, as it means that a jury of specialists has considered that my works are of quality. That this happens in various places around the world tells me that I am on an interesting creative path and that it reached a very diverse audience. Which encourages me to continue in my work, continually trying to improve and perfect the technique, style and final image. Of my works.
Your artwork often contains elements of everyday life infused with a digital or fantastical twist. Can you elaborate on your process of transforming ordinary moments into extraordinary art?
I am a lover of the classics, I have always admired the way Van Eyck, Velázquez, Tiziano, Botticelli and Caravaggio treated light and images, to give a few examples. The digital process that I use to approach them begins with a basic frame of the scene. Then I use digital spaces and other tools to modify the original until I reach the image that I have in mind to create. It is a very technical and very creative process at the same time.
In your work, there's a vibrant interplay of color and texture that gives a contemporary edge to familiar scenes and subjects. How do you decide on the color schemes for your pieces, and what role do you feel color plays in the narrative of your art?
The color palettes I use are always chosen based on the scene I am working on. There are colors that are more suited to the base frame than others. I usually look for them by doing tests. It is similar to the process of the scientific method of trial and error. I try different color palettes until I find the one that best suits the scene I'm working on.
Looking at your artwork, there's a distinct blend of photography and digital artistry. Can you speak to the evolution of your style and how you balance these mediums?
My photography is always figurative; I show reality through a particular vision, which aims to unite art with the image. I call it “Thecnicrography” from the Greek “techni” which means art.
In Digital Art I prefer to explore the world of the abstract. My technique is to get to the bottom of a frame using massive magnification, isolating groups of pixels, and then using them as a painterly tool.
In Digital Art, pixels are my paint pots
Having your work mentioned and exhibited globally is no small feat. How do you choose the pieces for each show, and is there a particular work of yours that you feel most represents your artistic identity?
When I participate in a new exhibition, I usually pick recent works. I like to present the latest works, although there are some that I sometimes repeat because I especially like them, such as Photos of London or Paris and images from my series “Everyday Life Scenes.”
As your career progresses, how do you continue to push the boundaries and explore new artistic perspectives? Can you give an example of a recent experiment or project?
My latest research in the technique of Digital Art, within the abstract, is aimed at the use of pixel packages to paint with them. It is a complicated and meticulous process that has the following key moments: Create pixels with various shapes and colors. Select the appropriate pixels for the work we want to create. And finally, carry out the work based on the previous design, as if it were a mosaic.
Finally, for aspiring artists who look up to your success, what advice would you give about creating art that captivates viewers and stands out to critics and art collectors?
I think that for all artists, whether new or experienced, it is essential to see art, know the classics, see current contemporary art, which is very varied, and, above all, learn manual and digital techniques, which are so important today. . You also have to observe reality.
Then you have to chart a path and look for the style that best represents us. I consider this a good way to start creating.