Time, Place and Purpose: The Identity Art of Jorge Rodriquez-Gerada

Maria Tudela (all images from Jorge Rodriquez-Gerada website)

Some artists like to work big.  And then there's urban artist and former culture jammer Jorge Rodriquez-Gerada, and his Identity Series.  

Aurelio Monterrey

Concepcion Buenos Aires

Emma Barcelona

For his Identity Series, he portrays everyday people who have a strong connection to their community and then finds a suitable space for their portrait.

The artist at work on Julio Granada

But these images are only part of his story.  For Jorge creates all of these portraits in charcoal. And as they gradually fade away, they encapsulate identity, memory and the tenuous nature of our existence.

Maria Barcelona

Here's a short video showing the creation of Maria Barcelona as Jorge explains what he's working towards.

If the video doesn't play you can watch it here.

Jorge began the Identity Series in 2002.  His vision? It's about "how the person depicted fades into the wall over time. The memory that is left confirms the importance and fragility of every existence. My intent is to have identity, place and memory become one."

But there's also another dimension to his work, which  

tries to counter the political and advertising images that permeate the cultural landscape. "I believe that our identity should come from within, not from the brands that we wear. We should question who choses our cultural icons and role models as well as our values and our aesthetics." 

David Vitoria

This portrait of local resident David quickly became a political statement when Jorge created it in Spain's Basque country. The video below explains:

             

If you doesn't play, you can watch it here. 

There is so much we take for granted about the impact of art and the artist. We assume the artist has uncommon skill and talent and that great art is a creation that lasts for the ages.  

Of course I'm oversimplifying, but in Jorge's work we have a strong visualization of what the winds of change both create and destroy. And I think there's something at once inspiring and humbling about his work, as it celebrates our common humanity and points towards the impermanence of everything.

There's more to his story that you can check out on his website. And here's a link to an interview he did last year. And I'd like to end this post with two images from his Terrestrial Series. 

He created this homage to a beloved Spanish architect from colored sand:

Homage to Enric Miralles

Here's a link to a video showing how he did it. 

And then there's the image below, made from 650 tons of sand and gravel, just before the 2008 US election.

Expectation