About Desviado
The word "desviado" in Spanish is defined as deflected, deviant, or off the beaten track. This word is significant in my life and work, as the things that inspire me and the things that I create tend to be a bit irregular, darker in nature, and perhaps a little unusual. Also, for one reason or another, I turned out to be the black sheep of my family – always trying hard to follow the norm to feel accepted or loved, but being completely unable to.
Through Desviado, I hope that lovers of art and unordinary things find peace, curiosity, and pleasure.
Autobiography
Born in Los Angeles, CA the youngest of four siblings, my family relocated to San Diego when I was five years old. I later returned to Los Angeles in search of a career in the arts, where I earned a degree in audio production from the Art Institute of California – Los Angeles.
Appreciating solitude as a child, I spent most my time in my bedroom, writing, drawing, and very often experimenting with anything that I could find in my home to build small figures. My favorite assignments in school were the ones that required me to design and build models or design poster boards for presentations. I always went above and beyond, putting much more work and detail into my elaborate projects than other students.
Attending creative and performing arts public middle school and high school in San Diego, CA I had the luxury of being introduced to art in all its ways, shapes and forms. These years, I spent learning how to play instruments, to read music, how to draw, and a lot of time in the dance studio. I could never find one art-form to solely focus on because I loved them all, but training in Classical Ballet, Tap, and Jazz transformed me – as it was a way to visually communicate a story and emotion with your entire being.
These experiences have shaped what I am able to build with my hands today. Metalwork is a trade that I have always admired, but it was not until 2015 that I was fortunate enough to find that a course in metalsmithing and jewelry making was offered at my local community college. Taking the one course offered at this school opened a world to me of endless possibilities in art-making. My admiration for this art medium turned into a passion, that propelled me to seek out more knowledge and experiences relating to the subject. I found another college that offers a certificate program in Metalsmithing/Jewelry Making and have since thrown myself into workshops and tutoring sessions, as well as endless hours of research pertaining to all things metalsmithing and jewelry design.
I can say that I found an art-form that I would go to great lengths for. I can also say that it has transformed me the way dance once did and piqued my curiosity as painting, drawing, audio production, and sculpting has.
Artist's Statement
Having played with mediums such as paints and having danced has made me feel most comfortable with things that I can feel with my hands. I am a tactile person, enjoying the feeling of rough edges on a piece of copper and the refined smooth polished surfaces of stones and steel. Knowing that I can change these aspects at any time if I feel the need to.
My work pays predominantly homage to the human body. The volumes, lines, and different sizes that exist provide endless inspiration for me. In grade school, a drawing of mine was published alongside a high school student’s article about Native Americans. I cannot say what drew me to such an image, but my drawing of a Native American male, whose pierced skin was attached to a pole (depicting a Sun Dance ceremony) solidifies my attachment to not only the human body but its direct correlation to spirituality and nature.
Looking past the obvious, close study of underlying meanings and visual details is my starting off point when beginning work on a new piece. I explore subject matter that is relevant to us all as human beings. Figures that portray death, birth, nature, religious symbols, and whimsy often appear figuratively or as obvious forms in what I do. By melting, shaping, cutting, and adding texture to metal I find peace in knowing that even the toughest of things, like human beings are indeed malleable. Even the harshest of substances can be made into something that is delicate. Transforming something that once seemed impossible to shape, into something completely different is inspiring.
I wish not to produce another piece that someone will decide that they like or dislike, but something that will make the viewer think, wonder, and feel. With each wearable piece, sculpture, or other media that I create in, I hope to make someone smile, feel comfortable with what is inevitable in our lives, and hopefully accept the differences that we each have in shape and faith.