SPOTLIGHT
Jacoub Reyes
by Chris Redmon
Jacoub Reyes is an emerging
artist who has built an almost
cultlike following here in
Orlando. A classically
trained artist who continuously crashes heads
with established notions
of what art and artists
should be, Reyes stresses
the importance of artists using their lives and creativity as a
platform from which they can create positive change.
Reyes has been surrounded by art his whole life. His
mother really tried to instill culture, science, and literature into his everyday life, for which he is extremely
grateful. In high school, he was involved in engineering
and game-making. This kind of set off the platform for
creativity and the ability to see things in a different light.
Initially attending UCF to seek out an engineering degree,
Reyes quickly changed his major to art. Now that he looks
back at it, he probably wouldn’t have. He now holds a shiny
BFA in drawing and printmaking. His drive for experimentation, seeking out museums, and reading has really helped him
out the most in his artistic journey.
Working primarily as a printmaker, Reyes’ work is most often
put together from salvaged materials as he painstakingly
searches for discarded matter he can use to create his
highly technical and majestic imagery. For him, the
art is living in the process and moving forward
from a waste driven society. Where some may
see flat, static narratives, he sees a spectrum
of tonal gradations and movement.
Woman of the River,
lithographic print
Reyes is creating a world of creatures and
figures that tell a story through their skin. He
fills these figures with intense detail and design
while keeping the integrity of every line. His
palette of subtle grays emerge from the media
and invite the viewer to take a closer look.
You can see more at:
JacoubReyes.wix.com/void
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www.ARTBORNEMAGAZINE.com