Golnaz Taherian | Arts Editor
Featured Image: Tamayo uses realism to demonstrate the construction of a studio. | Golnaz Taherian
Alejandro Tamayo is a Visual Art PhD graduate from York University. His thesis, ‘The Distance from the Sun,’ was held from May 7th to May 12th in the Gales Gallery located in Accolade West Building.
His project represents the construction of a studio, capturing the realism of working in one.
Tamayo wants the viewers to reflect subjectively about his project’s concept, rather than him telling them about it, because he believes: “If I tell people what my work is about, then I leave no room for their interpretation.”
When asked about what inspired him to make this project, he replied: “My inspiration came from working in the studio with different materials and the relationship between objects and space.”
His project focuses on details and the use of various objects to create a scene. One thing that stands out is the use of unexpectedly unique materials and objects that serve a creative and unanticipated purpose. In one instance, Tamayo used the top part of a white table and rested one side of it on a card table. He then put two painter’s tapes on the floor and stuck their rolls on the top surface of the other side, creatively using these tapes as table legs. In another instance, he leaned a top part of a dusty table against painted wooden boxes and put the bit of a screwdriver horizontally under the bottom part of the top table.
‘The Distance from the Sun’ project also focuses on direction and the connection between the positions of different objects. In one part, Tamayo put tape on a hammer to, in his words, “Keep the particular direction of the hammer”. One notices a small compass placed on a wooden box.Nearby, L-shaped shelf supporters are lain in an arrow, in the same trajectory as the compass point.
Tamayo’s realism makes the viewers feel they’re in a studio rather than an exhibition. Multiple nails, pins, pens and screwdrivers on the floor and inside the tool boxes can be seen, along with uneven pieces of papers, shredded sticky notes, and used wadded balls of tape. In this way, Tamayo creatively recycles his used artistic materials for other purposes and projects.
Lighting also plays a key role in the artist’s work; in it, most lights were kept off. When asked about his reasoning, Tamayo replied: “I changed the lighting consciously for creating shadows and reflection on some parts.” A creative purpose of lighting arrangement can be seen when a tool box, which is one object, appears as three objects in its shadow.
Tamayo demonstrates the relationship between objects, light, and shadows. Everything is oriented because of a creative purpose. For instance, there are two palette knives placed on the floor with a small space between them and Tamayo says: “They are placed like this because they project the light.”
Tamayo notes that his professors at York helped him through his journey. As for what’s next for him, he wants to take a break and then continue with new projects.
His upcoming projects will be the continuation of his current work, but they will be unique to his new space and construction.
