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Urban art is often seen as something that is quickly executed before the artists vanishes into the night and the piece is discovered the following morning. Jorge Rodriguez Gerada is a pioneer of both urban art and culture jamming. His approach, however, is many things but swift. Jorge Rodriguez Gerada investigates, researches and delivers charcoal portraits with precision, a process that can often time last several weeks. His larger than life charcoal portraits explore the issues of identity. As a Cuban-American living in Barcelona, Spain, he does not fit into any of the groups that society tends to dichotomize immigrants into. Jorge questions issues of his own identity and uses that investigation as a catalyst for creating masterpieces.

Jorge Rodriguez Gerada will be coming to Boston to create one of his large scale charcoal 'Identity' pieces. Rodriguez-Gerada "creates portraits in charcoal of people-until now anonymous-which scale the walls of buildings in our cities in a format that we can begin to describe as gigantic. They are gigantically defying, proud and dignified, more social than political. But let us not be mistaken, the art piece is not the charcoal drawing. The artistic process begins with the search for the city, the building, and most importantly the person to be depicted."

This project will start on September 1st 2009 and will run through out the month of September.

Click HERE to download the project proposal.

Images Courtesy of Ana Alvarez-Errecalde

About the Artist

Rodriguez Gerada was born in Santa Clara, Cuba on February 5, 1966. His family immigrated to the US in 1970 and relocated to New Jersey. While in college, he became more aware of the power of art and its ability to impact the community. During this period he became a founding member of the group Artfux. The group was active from mid 1989 to mid 1992. After the rupture of Artfux in 1992, Rodriguez Gerada continued working with the Artfux splinter group Cicada Corps of Artists. Cicada Corps was an entity made up of autonomous artists who would collaborate. During these years he altered countless billboards, was part of numerous exhibitions and undertook guerrilla performances that called the attention of the media for their audacity. All of these activities were focused in and around the New York City area.

In 2002 he started working on the Identity Series: Gigantic charcoal portraits of anonymous people scale the walls of buildings in different cities around the world. These drawings question the controls imposed on public space, the role models that represent us and the type of events that are guarded by the collective memory.

In 2008 he developed his project Expectation, a sand painting made in the likeness of Barack Obama that covers 2 1/2 acres (one hectare) of land with 650 tons of sand and gravel. The reasons that inspired Expectation resonated throughout the world thanks to the massive media coverage (CNN, Reuters, AP, etc).

Co-Curator and Sponsor: Art Asylum

Based on the notion that Art is constantly evolving to reflect the culturally diverse subject matters of humans and artists as well as their respective backgrounds. We aim to bring this new Urban Medium to the fore front of the world by teaching people about the multiple aspects of urban art as well as fine art and it's impact on society, and to inject this knowledge into the minds of local communities - not just to the fine art connoisseurs. By showcasing culturally significant urban art, Art Asylum elevates street - based art to a realm of fine art. Urban art is a term used to describe a myriad of art forms that stem from non-traditional subject matters or from non-traditional artist backgrounds. Urban art carries an edgy, Raw, feeling that comes from a lack of boundaries. This creates extraordinary freedoms of expression and creativity, and with no limits, anything can happen. Art Asylum cares about defining the urban art movement as well as harnessing its collective powers.

Project Sponsors

Boston Art Commission

Become a Sponsor!

Donations of any amount are appreciated. If you are making large donations that fit in any of the categories below please contact us at jp@curbsandstoops.com

Curator, $500
Invitation to opening ceremony.
Recognition on website and marketing collateral.

Collector, $1,000
Invitation to opening ceremony.
Private dinner with the artist and curators.
Recognition on website and marketing collateral.

Benefactor, $5,000
Signed and numbered print by the artist.
Invitation to opening ceremony.
Private dinner with the artist and curators.
Recognition at special events.
Recognition on website and marketing collateral with prominent name visibility.

Media

Links

Jorge Rodriguez Gerada's Website
Gerada Interview on Curbs and Stoops
Gerada on Curbs and Stoops Blog
Gerada on Wikipedia
Gerada on NY Arts Magazine
Gerada in Cool Hunting
Gerada in Wooster Collective
Gerada on New York Daily Nws