José Rizo

José Rizo

Monday, August 15, 2011

Brouillons D´autres fois. 2011





Life is constantly talking to us. Whether we perceive it or not. If we do, we transform those perceptions into thoughts. I talk back to life by turning these thoughts into drawings... A never ending game.


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Saturday, May 7, 2011

Cada Grito en Budapest / Every Shout in Budapest



     After seven years planning it, since yesterday Friday 6th of May, Mary Domart and Jose Rizo finally exhibit their paintings together, in Hungary.
     For two weeks their works will be shown in Nagykovácsi´s House of Culture (Örégiskola/Közósségi Ház és Könyvtár). Set in a mixed disposition (one and one), the viewer can have a perception of their long and legendary friendship.
     Even if their paintings are individual, and depict their own separate experiences (Mary and her husband Lewis´s traveler lives in Hungary, Poland, Barcelona and soon Australia, and José´s life in Budapest) one can easily get their so "Mexican-expatriate modus vivendi" of their last decade. The title of the exhibition "Cada Grito in Budapest" (Every Shout in Budapest) refers to the Mexican national celebration of Independence, the 16th of September (1810), that every year the Mexican embassy organizes followed by a party, in which the two artists met for the first time and started talking about their arts; thus, year by year, in these celebrations of "El Grito" (short for El Grito De Independencia) they were meeting along with the Mexican comunity in Hungary and talked about how good it would be to paint/exhibit together one day...



For more information about Nagykovácsi and its House of Culture, you can visit these sites:

Sunday, March 20, 2011

José Rizo @ Szinesztézia - Until the 30th of March

Egyéni festmény kiállítás / Individual painting exhibition

Megnyitó / Opening: 2011. március 16. 19:00
Doblo Wine Bar ::: VII. Dob utca 20. Budapest.  

Kovács Krisztina művészettörténész szerint/Art Historian Krisztina Kovács on José´s Paintings. . .
(for English scroll down)

          [... A kiállításon egy válogatást láthatunk az utóbbi évek alkotásaiból. Különböző festésmódok, stílusok, technikák és anyagok keveredése jellemzik a bemutatott műveket.      Az abszolút spontaneitás hatja át őket. Jose ugyanis nem készít vázlatokat, nem tervezi meg előre pontról pontra a kompozíciót, minden a vásznon magán alakul. Így van, hogy a kezdeti elképzelés a végére teljes átalakuláson megy keresztül. A művészi szabadság abszolút megnyilvánulásának lehetünk tanúi. Jose nem akar különböző irányzatoknak, divatos stílusoknak megfelelni, vagy jól bevált, mások által bejáratott festésmódokat alkalmazni. Csakis az őt körülvevő világ impulzusaira kíván reflektálni kifejezve az érzelmeit. Pontosan erről van szó, a művészi önkifejezés mindent felülíró voltáról. Vagyis nem számít mire, mivel és mit fest vagy rajzol, a fő cél számára az, hogy kiadja, kifesse magából azt a hihetetlen érzelmi többletet, vagy kavalkádod, nagyon gyakran nosztalgiát, mely egy-egy zeneszám hallgatásánál, baráti együttlétek során (ld. a kiállítás címe Drinking and looking at you), magányos pillanatokban, vagy hazájára, Mexikóra gondolva tör fel belőle. Míg a legtöbben az időt és az emlékeket fényképek formájában próbálják konzerválni, addig Jose bonyolult, érzékeny, de egyben teoretikus lelke számára ez túl egyszerű és üres megoldás lenne. Hiszen számára nem is annyira az elkészült művön van a hangsúly, hanem magán az alkotás folyamatán. Ezzel magyarázható az, hogy vannak képek, amiken éveken keresztül dolgozik, hogy így a hosszúra nyúlt munka során felidézhesse, újra és újra megélhesse, megemészthesse a történteket. Egy szóval összefoglalva Jose művészete szentimentális, a szó legpozitívabb értelmében.

          Nehéz lenne bármilyen irányvonalat is felépíteni művészetében, főleg azért, mivel itt még az első szárnypróbálgatások időszakában vagyunk, valamint mert tudatosan is arra törekszik, hogy az alkotás szabad folyamata semmilyen megszokott sémának se rendelődjön alá. Ez ellentmondana ugyanis a szabadságra vágyó, spontán énjének. Viszont ha alaposan szemügyre vesszük a képeket, mégis felfedezhetünk közös vonásokat, alkotóelveket.

          Először is különböztessük meg a figuratív és a non-figuratív műveket. Főleg a 2000 előtti és körüli időszakot jellemezte a figuratív alkotások túlsúlya, mely alatt női aktokat, akttöredékeket kell sejtenünk. Férfi egy se!  Jose ezeken nem törekszik anatómiai hűségre, pont ellenkezőleg, egyes részleteit a testnek, a női princípiumokat – mellek, csípő - expresszív módon felnagyítja, eltúlozza, hogy így fejezze ki az érzelmek felfokozott voltát. Nem célja a valóság pontos visszaadása, mivel az csupán illúzió, hamis kép, a realitás üres letükrözése lenne. Számára az a fontos, hogy tágabb összefüggéseket, az emlékekhez köthető olyan elvont, megfoghatatlan dolgokat is, mint az illatok, az idő múlása, vagy a hangok – ábrázolni tudjon. Ezt van, hogy konkrétabban teszi, mint az aranyló őszi levelekkel elborított utcaképben, mivel emögött egy pillanat konkrét emléke húzódik, azonban a legtöbb esetben a képek egy-egy hosszabb periódust ölelnek fel, így az abban megélt történések, az érzelmek sokfélesége a szó szoros értelemben ezek felületére rétegesen rárakódik. Ez főleg a legújabb munkákon érzékelhető. Gondolok itt például a My heart is a cave című 2010-es festményre, mely fordulópontot is képez az eddigi művek sorában és a kiállításnak talán az egyik legszebb darabja. Jose ezzel a képpel fedezte fel és aknázta ki igazán a marker toll adta lehetőségeket, egy újfajta, izgalmas struktúrát hozva létre. Vagyis az alkotás két fázisból áll. Az elsőben öntudatlanul, spontán módon színfoltokat visz fel a vászonra, vagy farostlemezre, majd ezek találkozásánál, egymásba folyásánál marker tollal meghúzza a kontúrokat, azokat árnyékolja, amikből újabb és újabb vonalak és összefüggések születnek. Így elkezd kirajzolódni egy sűrűn szőtt, dekoratív háló, mely önmagát alakítja a véletlenre alapozva, hogy a végén mégis megszülessen belőle egyfajta szürreális rend, melyben valahogy minden a helyére kerül és a néző is az alkotás részévé válik, hiszen asszociációira van bízva mit is lát bele a művekbe.
          Ettől kezdve, pedig a market tollak vonalai behálózzák az alkotásokat. Ez az a technikai módszer, melyben Jose igazán kiélheti magát, hiszen akár a korai műveket tekintjük, akár a legújabbakat, annak ellenére, hogy teljesen különböző világokat tárnak fel, egy közös pont, vagy alkotóelv öntudatlanul is összeköti őket, ez pedig a tér szerepe. Ne feledjük el, hogy Jose végzettségét tekintve építész és ezzel egy nagyfokú térlátás vagy térre való érzékenység jár együtt. Tehát még a leglíraibb, spontán alkotások is magukon viselik a tér láttatásának, a vele való játéknak a nyomait. Ez egyes képeknél akár odáig is elmegy, hogy a motívumok valóban három dimenziósan kimozdulnak a térbe.
És ahogy az építészetben a tömegek, a falak kontúrjai fogják körül az egész konstrukció lényegét, vagyis az üres teret, úgy ölelik körül a marker toll kusza vonásai a színek kavalkádját, és bontakoznak ki a formák, amik Jose érzelmeinek és emlékképeinek lenyomatai. Végezetül de nem utolsó sorban meg kell említenünk a képek keletkezésénél fontos szerepet játszó zeneiséget is. Aki ismeri Josét, azt tudja, hogy lételeme a zene és örök fájdalma, hogy nem zenésznek született.
Az alkotások megközelítésének tehát ez a következő szintje, hiszen sok esetben konkrét dallamok inspirálták őket, amiket itt a megnyitó alatt, majd később a Vittulában is hallhatnak. És ezzel még nem végeztünk. Nem csak zenékkel egészülnek ki az alkotások, hanem saját versekkel is. Vagyis Jose minden létező módját meg akarja ragadni annak, hogy mondanivalóját kifejezze és az érzékek különböző szintjein megőrizze.
          Összefoglalva tehát kortárs Gesamtkunstwerkeket, vagyis összművészeti alkotásokat láthatunk itt, melyek megértéséhez nincs szükségünk teóriákra, művészetelméleti fejtegetésekre, csupán az érzékeinkre kell hagyatkoznunk és hagynunk, hogy őszinte világuk szabadon kitárulkozhasson előttünk...]

Krisztina  Kovács,
Budapest, January 13,2011.



Art Historian Krisztina Kovács on José´s Paintings:

                     When José first told me about his exhibition, and then he asked me to say some opening words, not only the friend, but also the art historian that lives in me was glad, since I´ve been following the artistic phases of José for some years. But now also the great public will have the opportunity to know the complex and sensitive world of José.
                In this exhibition, we can see before us a selection of creations from the last years. The works presented are characterized by a mixture of different painting techniques, styles and materials, having as a common basis an absolutespontaneity. José doesn´t sketch; he doesn´t outline the composition a priori, point by point; everything gets born on the canvas itself. Thus, it can happen that an original idea suffers a total transformation until it gets the final form. We are witnesses of a total artistic freedom: José´s expectations are not to be content with any trend or artistic style, nor to follow some painting techniques in fashion followed by others. He only desires to express his feelings as a response to the impulses of the world that surrounds him. We are talking then, about a self expression that overcomes everything. It doesn´t matter what is the surface, nor what and with what he paints, his main aim is to express, to get rid of that excess from his inside, that rocking of feelings, or sometimes the homesickness that grabs him when he listens to music, when he gathers with his friends (Drinking And Looking At You), or in his moments of solitude, when he thinks of his homeland, Mexico. Many try to seize the time in photographs, but for José´s sensitive and complex soul – but Theoretic, at the same time- this would only be a banal and void solution, as for him what matters is not as much the finish work as the elaboration process. This is the reason why sometimes he is working for years with some paintings, so that all over the years -through a prolonged work- he can invoke, revive and assimilate all that was previously lived.
                It would be too difficult to point some tendencies in José´s work, mostly because he is still giving his first steps as an artist, but also because he consciously he is concerned about his free creational process doesn´t obey any conventional diagram; this would contradict, then, his spontaneous spirit, eager of freedom. Nevertheless, if we focus our attention on his works, we can uncover some common characteristics between them:
First, let´s trace a dividing line between the figurative and non-figurative works. Most of his figurative paintings date from before –and around- the year 2000, and among them, we can glimpse nudes or nude fragments; there are no men in any of them! José doesn´t try to be loyal to anatomy in these works, on the contrary, he stresses some parts of the body, and exaggerates expressively the feminine essence – the breasts, the hips- to express thus his bursting feelings. His aim is not to reproduce faithfully the reality, because this would be nothing but an illusion, a tricky image, an empty mirage. What matters to him, is to give shape to abstract and intangible things – like smells, the time passing by, or some sounds- and to the memories attached to them in a wide net of relationships. Sometimes, he does it in a more concrete way, such is the case of the painting of a street in autumn, covered by golden leaves as at the bottom of that scene, there lies the memory of a very concrete moment.
In most of the cases, though, José´s works cover longer elaboration periods, in which experiences and a great quantity of feeling are accumulated creating layers on the surface. We can mostly get this from his latest works, for example in “My Heart Is A Cave (2010)”, painting that suppose a change on his art, and perhaps the most eye-catching of the whole exhibition. Thanks to it, José has discovered and profit the possibilities of the black marker to create new and exciting structures.
In there, creation happens in two faces: First, he stains the surface with colors in a spontaneous and unconscious manner, and at the colors joints he traces the outlines with the marker, then he adds shadows originating thus new relationships between the lines. A kind of decorative net is created, and its able to give form to itself based on randomness, giving finally light to a surrealist order in which everything is on its place and on which the observer also takes part through his owns associations.
From this point on, the lines traced with marker created a net on the works. This technical method is what allows José work free, since as we can see in his early Works as in the latest, there is a point, a common creative focal spot between the paintings that connects them unconsciously to each other despite of revealing completely different worlds, and that is: The space. Let´s not forget that according to José´s formation, he is an architect, fact that grants him a special sensitivity for the space and perspective. Even his most poetical and spontaneous creations reflect this game with the perspective and space. In some of his works, we can even find some three-dimensional elements that jump from the plane to the space. In the same way, just as the outlines of the walls and big volumes of architecture give sense to constructions (meaning that they surround the empty space), the confused lines also delineate the colored stains giving light to the shapes that are stamps of José´s feelings and memories.
Last but not least, we still have to mention music´s roll in the works creation. Whoever knows José must know that music is his vital essence, and that for him is a great pain not having being born a musician. This is, then, another level for the approach to his paintings, since several times they are directly inspired by concrete melodies, which will be playing not only during the inauguration, but also later, in Vittula. And we haven´t finished yet: his works are not only complemented with music, but also with his own poetry, as José tries to express himself in every possible way and make his feelings immortal in all levels.
In conclusion, we can state that in we are in presence of a kind of “total art” in this room, or a contemporary“Gesamtkunstwerk” that doesn´t need of theories or art critics explanations; the only thing to do is to let ourselves be guided by our senses and let the naïve and pure world of his painting to open freely before our eyes.

Krisztina Kovács
Thursday , January 13th of 2011.
Budapest, Hungary.

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

SZINESZTÉZIA - exhibition series in DOBLO


click on the image to go to Szinesztézia


The event starts with José Rizo´s paintings the 16th of March...

[synesthesia] A sensation that normally occurs in one sense modality occurs when another modality is stimulated.

A taste that feels like silk? A color that feels cold? A sweet smell? All of this is synesthesia, and for this reason, why we have chosen it as name for our exhibition series. DOBLO Wine Bar has  been enchanting our senses with its gastroculture for two years, but now in cooperation with ARTROBE Online Stylshop, it is willing to charm our visualization as well. Photographers and painters, promoted by the webshop, will make one of Budapest's most beautiful places even more extraordinary.


The concept is simple. Introducing young promising artists to the public open for high class gastronomy; providing an opportunity for talented artists to  step out from the well known professional community debut on a new market. DOBLO-s aim is not to compete with the gallerias, rather to show the artworks implementation in our common surrounding and the visual experience provided by them.


Each artist will be introduced on a two weeks individual exhibition, with selections of themselves. The spine of the series will be the two and a half weeks of Art Moments, where a group exhibition of the artist will be set up.

Mary DOMART exhibits in Budapest...



     This Saturday March 12, Mexican painter Mary DOMART who currently lives in Barcelona, comes back to her beloved Budapest (where she lived for many years) just to tell us her stories in her very particular way, thus showing to us her most recent paintings.

       You are welcome at Gallery D2 (Tűzoltó st. 59, district IX), 18hrs.

     After the exhibition opening, she and her friends will go to Szimpla -an icon of the city and a city-stories container- to celebrate her artistic return and cheer with her friends. You too should come along!

Thursday, January 13, 2011

Vernissage speech by Kriszti Kovács - DRINKING AND LOOKING AT YOU

My friend and Art Historian Krisztina Kovács honored me not only with her presence at the exhibition, but also giving the inaugural speech, with her very professional critics on my works. This is the English version of her words.


                When José first told me about his exhibition, and then he asked me to say some opening words, not only the friend, but also the art historian that lives in me was glad, since I´ve been following the artistic phases of José for some years. But now also the great public will have the opportunity to know the complex and sensitive world of José.

                In this exhibition, we can see before us a selection of creations from the last years. The works presented are characterized by a mixture of different painting techniques, styles and materials, having as a common basis an absolute spontaneity. José doesn´t sketch; he doesn´t outline the composition a priori, point by point; everything gets born on the canvas itself. Thus, it can happen that an original idea suffers a total transformation until it gets the final form. We are witnesses of a total artistic freedom: José´s expectations are not to be content with any trend or artistic style, nor to follow some painting techniques in fashion followed by others. He only desires to express his feelings as a response to the impulses of the world that surrounds him. We are talking then, about a self expression that overcomes everything. It doesn´t matter what is the surface, nor what and with what he paints, his main aim is to express, to get rid of that excess from his inside, that rocking of feelings, or sometimes the homesickness that grabs him when he listens to music, when he gathers with his friends (Drinking And Looking At You), or in his moments of solitude, when he thinks of his homeland, Mexico. Many try to seize the time in photographs, but for José´s sensitive and complex soul – but Theoretic, at the same time- this would only be a banal and void solution, as for him what matters is not as much the finish work as the elaboration process. This is the reason why sometimes he is working for years with some paintings, so that all over the years -through a prolonged work- he can invoke, revive and assimilate all that was previously lived.
                It would be too difficult to point some tendencies in José´s work, mostly because he is still giving his first steps as an artist, but also because he consciously he is concerned about his free creational process doesn´t obey any conventional diagram; this would contradict, then, his spontaneous spirit, eager of freedom. Nevertheless, if we focus our attention on his works, we can uncover some common characteristics between them:
First, let´s trace a dividing line between the figurative and non-figurative works. Most of his figurative paintings date from before –and around- the year 2000, and among them, we can glimpse nudes or nude fragments; there are no men in any of them! José doesn´t try to be loyal to anatomy in these works, on the contrary, he stresses some parts of the body, and exaggerates expressively the feminine essence – the breasts, the hips- to express thus his bursting feelings. His aim is not to reproduce faithfully the reality, because this would be nothing but an illusion, a tricky image, an empty mirage. What matters to him, is to give shape to abstract and intangible things – like smells, the time passing by, or some sounds- and to the memories attached to them in a wide net of relationships. Sometimes, he does it in a more concrete way, such is the case of the painting of a street in autumn, covered by golden leaves as at the bottom of that scene, there lies the memory of a very concrete moment.
In most of the cases, though, José´s works cover longer elaboration periods, in which experiences and a great quantity of feeling are accumulated creating layers on the surface. We can mostly get this from his latest works, for example in “My Heart Is A Cave (2010)”, painting that suppose a change on his art, and perhaps the most eye-catching of the whole exhibition. Thanks to it, José has discovered and profit the possibilities of the black marker to create new and exciting structures.
In there, creation happens in two faces: First, he stains the surface with colors in a spontaneous and unconscious manner, and at the colors joints he traces the outlines with the marker, then he adds shadows originating thus new relationships between the lines. A kind of decorative net is created, and its able to give form to itself based on randomness, giving finally light to a surrealist order in which everything is on its place and on which the observer also takes part through his owns associations.
From this point on, the lines traced with marker created a net on the works. This technical method is what allows José work free, since as we can see in his early Works as in the latest, there is a point, a common creative focal spot between the paintings that connects them unconsciously to each other despite of revealing completely different worlds, and that is: The space. Let´s not forget that according to José´s formation, he is an architect, fact that grants him a special sensitivity for the space and perspective. Even his most poetical and spontaneous creations reflect this game with the perspective and space. In some of his works, we can even find some three-dimensional elements that jump from the plane to the space. In the same way, just as the outlines of the walls and big volumes of architecture give sense to constructions (meaning that they surround the empty space), the confused lines also delineate the colored stains giving light to the shapes that are stamps of José´s feelings and memories.
Last but not least, we still have to mention music´s roll in the works creation. Whoever knows José must know that music is his vital essence, and that for him is a great pain not having being born a musician. This is, then, another level for the approach to his paintings, since several times they are directly inspired by concrete melodies, which will be playing not only during the inauguration, but also later, in Vittula. And we haven´t finished yet: his works are not only complemented with music, but also with his own poetry, as José tries to express himself in every possible way and make his feelings immortal in all levels.
In conclusion, we can state that in we are in presence of a kind of “total art” in this room, or a contemporary “Gesamtkunstwerk” that doesn´t need of theories or art critics explanations; the only thing to do is to let ourselves be guided by our senses and let the naïve and pure world of his painting to open freely before our eyes.

Krisztina Kovács
Thursday , January 13th of 2011.
Budapest, Hungary.