Antonio Carreño: Sense of Self

Antonio's work reflects the legacy of surrealism in Latin American art which is redefined in the energetic lines and vibrant concepts of his pieces. Close your eyes and sense all of the allusions - architecture, flowers, foliage, white sand, clouds, and sunlight – which are all present. Perhaps, Carreño is looking for a higher reality in his paintings like his predecessors, the surrealists, it is a reality that tests our cognitive skills.

Without quite knowing the reason for the magnetism – we are very much drawn to his work - the sureness of his hand affords us a freshness and spontaneity. Quasi-linear forms cavort, hover, and dance in a rainbow of sensuous color. Abstraction offered Antonio the freedom he wanted to express, finding that his subconscious often would take an unpredictable course and that his conscious thoughts engage formal artistic qualities of structure, color and line. Weather permitting, Carreño prefers to work outdoors where nature inspires his paintings. He lays his canvases or board-backed paper on a flat surface that becomes a painting table, thus, he can move around it as the painting grows. He states that many of the quick-drawn elements in his pictures come from nature that can be seen in the woods around his home. The first process he uses is a ground layer of sand and polymer. He proceeds to apply color and drawings over this shallow relief map. The application of paint is similar to fresco painting if the polymer and sand are still wet. His paintings are obvious and mysterious. He feels that his best works are done quickly, preferring to work fast.

Since 1982 Antonio has had numerous solo and group exhibitions around the United States and in his homeland. His work is in many selected public collections.