Interview with Ramón Rivas
Biography
He was born in Lands of Don Quixote (Castilla-La Mancha / Spain). His family environment and the multidisciplinary influence of his professional activity; in sports, music, engineering, inventions and art, in Castilla-La Mancha and Madrid, she was decisive for the artistic creation of a very personal and different style, called Rivismo, based on the application of the Experiential Brushstroke. During the last eighteen years, his research has managed to reinforce the Concepts and Philosophy that predominate in Rivismo and that have given prominence to the material elements to which he has assigned aspects, functions and values of people.
He has held exhibitions in; Spain, China, South Korea, Italy, France, Denmark, the United States, among others. In addition, there are works in the collection of Museums in; Spain, Denmark and South Korea. The influence of the Internet; Websites, Blogs and Social Networks have quickly contributed to making his work known. In response to this diffusion, he has been recognized with invitations to international exhibitions, interviews, inclusion in art books and magazines, and being awarded multiple and prestigious international awards.
Artist Statement
My work has a strong personal identity that I apply freely and without limitations. I use my creativity to be different and look for new artistic proposals that surprise and excite.
My imagination is essential to develop creative and innovative works that positively interact with the viewer's gaze. My work is orderly and methodical. I supervise the good execution and composition, I incorporate scientific themes, and I make the painting a passable space for the spectator. As a result, I create images with precision, with astonishing density and visually captivating depth. Art professionals have cataloged my work as; of unique creativity and extraordinary aesthetics.
My works seek to be a source of provocation that encourages the viewer to participate and turns him into a creative artist during his tour of the stage and while the images recorded on his retina last.
Can you tell us about the moment you decided to pursue a career as an artist?
I have done work in very different professional activities, among which I can list those located in the area of engineering and organization, sports, music and inventions, and all of them have had the presence of art.
The professional artistic activities of my family for several generations have been the protagonists of the fact that, from a very young age, I have seen and participated in these activities, learning in a natural way while growing and passing from childhood to maturity.
This natural learning together with other knowledge, I have applied in advertising, marketing and merchandising jobs in companies and in the organization of large events; Davis Cup, Federation Cup, etc. All the practice in these activities, complemented by graphic design studies and professional web pages, have led me to dedicate myself more intensely to the world of art. For this, I have created my own style, which I have called Rivismo. All my life I have been accompanied by art, although my artistic activity has been more concentrated and intense in the last eighteen years.
What kind of an artist do you ultimately see yourself?
I have always tried to do different and diversified things. My natural tools; Creativity, imagination and visualization, accompanied by my engineering knowledge in organization and planning, allow me to carry out exclusive works and, above all, with themes that almost no artist incorporates in his creations. For example, I incorporate mathematical formulas, Fourier series, Fibonacci series, Gauss triangles, among many others, and make them protagonists in the setting of my work. I use the properties of materials and their appearance, to incorporate people's own functions, an action that I put into practice with the application of my Experiential Brushstrokes, which are the basis of Rivismo. Although the typification of my work would have to be given by the markets and art enthusiasts, I can humbly define myself as a creative, imaginative artist who seeks novelty and complicity, with the intention of surprising, provoking and interacting with the people who see my work.
What do you want your art to convey to those who see it? What is the meaning or creative motivation behind your work?
I want it to transmit, novelty and freshness. As I have already described in the previous question, I want to surprise the observers and bring them closer to my work, so that they can visually tour the stage of my work and analyze each part of it. Each part analyzed can originate memories, personal interpretations, mystery, and even tranquility and peace, especially in works related to this theme.
My creative motivation is none other than to bring the art world closer; events, stories, material and immaterial elements, among other topics, that are not very artistically treated and I want to transfer them to the painting in a tangible way.
Can you tell us about the process you use to create your works? What is your typical workday routine?
The great variety of works that I have done have loaded the files of my brain, storing a lot of information and multiple possibilities to create compositions of all kinds. My training as; Organization and Project Engineer, European Diploma in Strategic Planning and knowledge of Visualization and Mental Control, help me order and plan the development of a composition, carry out its structural architecture and rigorously apply the precision of its execution. The starting idea has a lot to do with my imagination and what I decide to do with complete freedom and without limits. The application of research is a very important element for my work. I try to follow the technique that I apply when making an invention. The condition of novel and different element is essential for it to be patented. Therefore, I try to make creations from scratch avoiding any kind of contamination from other authors' works.
For all this, a piece of a device, a rusty car body, acids on surfaces, burned wood, a mathematical formula, a property of prime numbers, the golden ratio, the Fibonacci spiral, the seventeen-sided polygons of Gauss, the equations of Relativity, black holes, etc., are enough elements to define, structure, begin and develop a theme, a story or simply represent a provocative composition that activates the senses.
I do my work throughout the day, but preferably at times that give me peace of mind so that my concentration is optimal.
Where do you find inspiration? What motivates you to create?
As I have said before, the work that I have done in different professions and activities have loaded the files of my brain, to have a lot of information and multiple possibilities to create compositions of all kinds. Events, news, scientific topics, material and immaterial elements serve as a stimulus for me to start any topic to incorporate into my works. My imagination is the one that creates the starting idea to carry out my work and, at the same time, activates the inspiration that I need. Research on the work I do is an extraordinary way to improve my artistic proposals.
Since I was a child I have made works of art, created gadgets, sleeping with my brain in an alert phase to store new ideas and creations. Currently, downloading my brain files full of new, amazing and powerful ideas to interact with art viewers is the best motivation a creative artist can have.
What has been your most outstanding achievement to date?
Throughout my life I have achieved important achievements; those achieved in my school studies, as an Industrial Engineer, as an Inventor with several patents, as a European Diploma in Strategic Planning, as the Creator and singer of a musical album about tennis, as a National Tennis Coach, as Director of Sports Centers, as a member of Davis Cup and Fed Cup Organization Committees, and most importantly, as my parents' caregiver for several years, until the end of their days.
Regarding my activity in the world of art, highlighting my individual and collective exhibitions, and Fairs, in several countries; Spain, China, South Korea, Italy, France, Denmark, the United States, among others. In addition, there are my works in the collection of Museums in Spain, Denmark and South Korea. My works are being highly valued, with which I have been invited to participate in exhibitions, interviews, magazines and a multitude of art books. As a very gratifying reward, I have received many prestigious international awards. For me, any of these awards has been an achievement and a huge stimulant to keep the engine running.
What are your ultimate career goals?
My first goal is to keep my creative engine running at peak performance. For that, I must take care of myself and, above all, incorporate and adapt to new technologies without straying from the philosophy and concepts currently present in my works.
Apart from the editorial work in which I have participated and the prizes I have won, a priority objective to consolidate my work and my artistic proposal is to be able to exhibit in the most important Contemporary Art Museums in the world.
What are you working on now, and what can we expect from you soon?
Currently, I am preparing exclusive works for several thematic books and documentation for the latest international awards that have been awarded to me. Also, I am working on several works, in whose themes I incorporate; the Fibonacci series, triangles with special properties and black holes.
I have participated in the Madrid Station Exhibition 2023 and I am participating in the Artexpo New York 2023 Fair.
Regarding my expectations, I will try to study some of my works to be able to make them in three dimensions. In the meantime, I will continue researching my current job to continue contributing new works that consolidate my creativity.
Web: http://www.rivismo.com
Blog: https://ramonrivas-rivismo.blogspot.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ramonrivas_rivismo
