Jose Antonio Aguirre
Artist Email: jaalarte@earthlink.net
Artist Statement
Public Art has always surrounded me. I was born and raised in a city that nurtured the renaissance of murals in the second decade of the 20th Century. As I young adult, I moved to another country, to another city that was the perfect example of how public art would beautify and inspire everybody’s community. Some years later I moved to a city that was considered the mural capital of the world. All my life I have been impacted and inspired by Public Art.
For over twenty years, I have been producing art works for public places and sites, including schools, university campuses, promenades, civic plazas, theme parks and shopping centers in Mexico and the United States. I create art projects that reflect local roots and emphasize awareness of the location to reveal community identity. My initial approach to the project design starts with an idea that is inspired by comprehensive research of the site and its cultural and historical background.
I specialize in the various stages of design, fabrication and installation of public artworks. My experience includes large and small-scale projects in a variety of forms and methods. To develop site-specific artworks that reveal the identity of the region, I engage in a dialog with the community, collecting local stories, investigating the surrounding environment and analyze the cultural landscape to place the art in context with its community. This practice improves the creative process to define the concept in a more expressive way that will be defined by the use of traditional techniques with the integration of innovative materials, sustainability and technology.
The development of public art projects is a welcomed challenge that involves collaboration with design teams, architects, landscape designers, engineers, contractors, city agencies and artists from the conceptual stage to the completed project. I am an experienced team participant, with a strong record as a fabricator and installer for other artist’s projects.
As a national and international recognized artist and lecturer, I received a Fulbright award to research and implement a Public Art program and projects at the fourth largest public university (UAM-A) in Mexico City. This experience has led me to look forward into incorporating new technologies in future projects, with the intention to creatively use sustainable power systems and continue utilizing green materials for public art.
For over two decades I have established a extended track record of projects involving community and student participation, I am strongly experienced in interactions with production teams and the public. I am confident that my resume demonstrates the successful completion of public art projects, shows my ability to meet specific goals and indicates my commitment to complete the design, fabrication and installation of projects within budget and on time.