SLATE Art: What is your favorite piece in the Color Fields show? Why?
Juan Alonso Rodriguez: Any sort of “what’s your favorite…” question is always difficult to answer, regardless of topic but I will compromise and mention two that happen to be hanging side by side: Indigo Flow 7 & Quiet Pearl. They are significant to me for similar and opposite reasons. When I made Indigo Flow 7, I wanted the feel of a void you would be pulled into, both foreboding and peaceful. When I was younger, I would imagine being aboard a spaceship and looking out the ship’s windows into the darkness of space in order to relax, meditate or fall asleep. It was comforting to be enveloped by that immersive darkness. I have four large canvasses in my studio that I intend to saturate in this sort of monochromatic fashion to acquire a similar feel. Quiet Pearl is similar in the sense of that deep saturation, but it evokes an earthlier and possibly friendlier feel. They are Yin and Yang and are both significant steps forward in my quest to achieve certain sensory reactions to my work.
SA: What are you making/working on in the studio this summer?
JAR: Currently, I have several projects going on. In the studio, I have started six new 30” x 30” canvasses that are a continuation of my Pattern & Flow series but the pattern component of these works are inspired by the railings my father designed and fabricated for my family’s beach home in Cuba, which was built the year I was born. This is a bit of an experiment for me and I am proceeding with caution but excited to see the end results. I have been inspired by these railings before and created six, six-foot tall sculptures for Chief Sealth High School in Seattle, based on their designs. I have two semi-public projects in the works as well; both for large apartment buildings being developed in Seattle. For one, I have designed and will fabricate a large stainless- steel wall sculpture for an outside façade. For the second building, I am working on a sidewalk treatment which will likely involve sandblasting a repeating pattern on much of the sidewalk around it.
SA: What artists have informed your own art practice the most?
JAR: I am continuously inspired by artists, whether internationally known or my close friends, but there are a few that have made a mark on my psyche for different reasons. The first artists whose work I saw that made me want to paint was Dutch artist Karel Appel. I loved his gestural and energetic brush strokes and his ability to adapt the known in an abstract way. Georgia O’Keefe impressed me, not only with her work, but in the way she approached her life. Her sense of independence and resolve to not compromise in a world where women were not taken seriously, gave me inspiration as a self-taught artist that I too, could move past the nay-sayers. As I began seriously developing my own artistic voice, I started researching Cuban artists. If I had to choose one favorite artists (there goes that word again), it would be Wifredo Lam. I remember sitting in the middle of a room full of his work in a museum in Havana and starting to weep at the beauty and magic of his work. He was of Chinese and African descent, born in Cuba and made his mark in Paris; another story of overcoming the odds. I think these folks have inspired me without feeling like I had to make work that looked like theirs. It has been more of a remote mentorship and leading by example of what is possible. Of course, I will always remember Jacob Lawrence as someone who always encouraged me and gave me more confidence as an artist than anyone else, particularly when I was starting out. He and his wife, Gwen Knight are definitely two of my personal heroes.
SA: What music are you listening to these days?
JAR: Two of my favorite singer/songwriters have recently put out new music that have been on regular play at my studio. Fiona Apple’s Fetch the Bolt Cutters, to me is the soundtrack for the insanity of the pandemic we are living through. You have to be somewhat comfortable with human instability to listen to this album. I am. Rufus Wainwrights’ Unfollow the Rules is the other album I have currently on repeat. His voice is in top shape as is his writing for this recording. Poses has been my favorite album of his and Unfollow the Rulesthis new one is a close second.
SA: What shelter in place activities give you some piece of mind/enjoyment/opportunities to learn new things?
JAR: Since this pandemic began, I decided to treat the idea of shelter in place as I would treat an artist residency. I decided to concentrate on work without distraction and so far, coming to my studio and working has kept me sane. I do miss seeing friends and some socializing, but I’ve also realized I was doing a bit too much and needed to pull back a bit. Of course, I have also been doing the various things many others have as well, such as cooking a lot more, binge-watching TV and getting a couple of small houseplants to watch grow. No sourdough yet. I’m also making an effort to go running or walking 5-6 days a week to keep the weight at a certain level, especially with all the cooking and cocktail recipes with which I’ve been experimenting.
SA: You find a large bag full of cash on the side of the road. (Say $1m.) What's next?
JAR: Because I would not do well in jail, I’d make sure somehow the money would not be traced to someone needy or any illegal activity. No, I’m not that kind that would immediately go to the police and return it. I’d just want to make sure that it wouldn’t come back to haunt me for whatever reason. Assuming I could keep it, I’d first pay off my mortgage and put aside some cash to send on a regular basis to my family that still lives in Cuba. After that, I’d probably consider where I might want to spend the rest of my life, which would likely be a warmer climate than the Pacific Northwest. Ideally, I would want to buy a place that had enough space for a studio without having to rent a separate space to go work. If I had money left over, I would want to develop a small building of artist studios with an exhibition space.
Although I am approaching retirement age, I don’t see myself slowing down when it comes to making art. I probably need to consider being less involved in art and community activism and let younger more energetic folks have a voice so I can focus fully on my work. I have more ideas in my head than I could possibly make happen, so blockage has never been my problem. Oh yes, I want to write an autobiography, even if no one reads it and hope I can get to travel again soon.
Photo of artist: Wendy Simons Photography