Juan Aguirre

Juan Aguirre, is an artist located in La Granja de San Ildefonso (Segovia). He was born in nearby Madrid (Spain), where he initially studied Drawing and Painting (1970/1973) at the Escuela de Artes y Oficios and, subsequently, Architecture at the Escuela de Arquitectura, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (1973/1980).

Here is what is the artist saying about his work and inspiration:

Why do I make art and what inspires me?

Painting has been my passion since childhood. This love for plastic expression soon became what now represents my everyday goal of multidisciplinary art within the fields of Architecture, Painting and Modeling.

Creativity in all three areas provides me with positive energy and vitality; I feel more alive, free and disconnected from reality. Observation of surrounding nature and social settings – landscapes, gardens, streets, cafes, cinema, etc.- impacts my mind with photographs that later evolve into ideas, which I converge into forms and images through a thrilling jotting process, as a mean of holding the fleeting moments of life.

Relaxation through music, my second passion, constitutes another fruitful source of inspiration that reaches its maximum expression during shower, another moment in which ideas flow at full speed through my head. All this takes shape in Picasso’s words: “Inspiration exists, but has to find you working”- fostering to keep alert on all stimuli.

My techniques:

My techniques have evolved from drawing and oil paintings when a child, through airbrush, to computer painting during the last thirty years. Amazing what just a mouse and a finger can do!

In the early 90's, I started using drawing software as an aid for Architecture work. Being the first generation to integrate computer and projects, I was hired to train Architecture students in the use of these techniques, and above all, to use them in the most effective way to express and transmit their ideas, lecturing various subjects in the field of Plastic Arts; first in the School of Architecture of the IS University of Segovia and later, in the National Glass Center Foundation.

The jump to digital modeling applied to all plastic arts gained my enthusiasm; it has become my current art producing technique. Vocationally I have moved to figurative art, the execution of works with the highest degree of detail. Despite my hyper-photorealistic style, I shield away from a mere photographic semblance. I have held exhibitions of my plastic work mainly in Madrid, Segovia and La Granja de San Ildefonso, with some incursions in Art Fairs in Europe (Cremona, Italy 2013 and Brussels, Exhibition Spain-Select 2014), both in numerous galleries and meeting places (hotels, restaurants, etc.). In 2019, among a thousand candidates, I was selected for the Marca Arte España Group, that includes painters of the highest level in Spain (Eduardo Naranjo, Ricardo Sanz, Modesto Trigo and others).

A comment on digital modeling (not on digital art, which I consider a more ambiguous concept):

There is a great lack of knowledge on what digital modeling is. It is simply about building three-dimensional models of any object, of any size, from a pen to an entire building, using software. Modeling work is laborious. It requires patience and meticulousness. Once the virtual model is executed, textures, colors and materials can be added in order for it to offer a realistic look. At that point, the model can be rendered (photographed) with the computer from any angle, position, light, etc. Moreover, the model can be arranged to move virtually while making a video of the process. The result is a meticulous high- resolution rendering (about 7,500 X 7,500 pixels), printed with UV resistant inks on a quality canvas and mounted on a frame of wood, 40 x 40 cm to 1.5 m, later hand-signed, which is then ready for exhibition and sale.

Here are some audio & videos samples of two of my model creations and favorite works >