JUAN MATOS CAPOTE

MOTIVES

Pinpointing a specific motive for painting is often challenging, so I create art without a particular form. Sometimes, I start with a clear motive, but it usually fades as I progress. Other times, I begin without a specific motive, only to have one emerge as I perceive a set of marks or feel a predisposition that suggests a direction for the artwork. Embracing the formless while being open to accepting form is a complex but essential characteristic of painting.

PAINTING

Painting is all about the way I apply paint to the support. Choosing the right tools and surfaces is crucial. Most importantly, it's about the process. From the moment I decide to start painting until I finish, that period is painting itself. The amount of confusion and clarity I go through is a vital aspect. When I begin to paint, I usually have vague thoughts about colour and composition, but these rarely remain the same until the end. As I paint, my thoughts change, and I often decide to go in a direction I did not anticipate. I frequently feel restless and even anxious about the outcome of my gestures and decisions. I am often surprised when something extraordinary emerges on the canvas. Sometimes, things that I initially think won't work—or are mistakes—transform into something good. I usually don't know when I will finish a painting; I only know when, during the process, I reach a point that gives me the confidence to decide that I have finished painting. All of this is closely related to the result. I have to like it. Yes, I have to. However, the fact that I like the painting does not mean it has to be conventionally beautiful.

BIOGRAPHY

Juan Matos Capote is an artist living in the Canary Islands, Spain. Born on the island of La Palma, Matos Capote was a Fulbright grantee and earned his Master of Fine Arts from Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, New York. He lived in New York City from 1995 until 2008 and in Antwerp from 1992 until 1995.

Matos Capote has exhibited his work internationally, including group and solo exhibitions in the U.S.A., Europe, Africa, Australia, and New Zealand. His works have been included in shows at  MoMA/P.S.1 Contemporary Art Center (New York); Esso Gallery (New York); Gigantic ArtSpace (New York); I20 Gallery (New York); Massey University (New Zealand); Dak'art 2008 Biennial Off (Senegal); Sydney Non Objective (Australia); La Casa Encendida (Madrid); Centre d'Art La Panera (Lleida); Centro de Arte La Recova (Tenerife); and at Centro Atlántico de Arte Moderno (Gran Canaria), among others.

As a sound artist, he has performed in a variety of settings and festivals, including STEIM (Amsterdam); Cafe OTO Residency (London); Instituto Cervantes (Berlin); Sónar Festival at MACBA (Museu d'Art Contemporany de Barcelona); CCCB (Centre de Cultura Contemporània de Barcelona); Arts Santa Monica (Barcelona); Espai Ubu (Barcelona); Museo de Naturaleza y Arqueología (Tenerife); Auditorio Adán Martín (Tenerife); and Auditorio Alfredo Kraus (Gran Canaria), among others.

He is also a curator and co-director at Galería ATC in Santa Cruz de Tenerife.