Dario Aguilar- A Time Of Contemplation (Introduction- Painter & Artist)

Edition Twelve-Week Twelve:

By: Mercedes Barreto

What is a vocation in the eyes of a competitive craft? So why should you keep your eyes peeled for art that dyes your soul a different color and illuminates the mind with brighter thoughts? Dario Aguilar is an artist to admire and learn more about. This introductory and guided rising talent article teaches us more about his work.

How would you present yourself and your artistic career in a few sentences to those who don’t know you?

“I am an artist who dabbles mainly in painting and occasionally writing and drawing. I started painting at a very young age, and at 6 years old, I knew who I would be as an artist. I trained in private drawing and ceramic workshops, although I started studying Fine Arts in 1997. Two years later, I decided to abandon my studies to concentrate on developing my personal work. Since the year 2000, I have exhibited my works individually and collectively in Buenos Aires, Bogota, Rome, Genoa, and other cities worldwide.
In 2012, I published the book Extensionism (Extensionismo). Informal Science (LVL Editions)// Ciencia Informal (Ediciones LVL), presented by Roberto Amigo at the Mariano Moreno National Library (Buenos Aires). In 2014, I started painting with tempera (Pure pigment + egg yolk) on plaster supports, a technique I use today.”

What has always been your source of inspiration?

“I am interested in the random aspect of Art History. It is a favorable field to play with from a fiction perspective. Think about the fate of works that are not part of collections or appear in books that were not legitimized. I’m not just talking about its material appearance if it were destroyed or abandoned. What I mean is being able to emphasize the symbolic value of artistic work despite the shadow of oblivion that lurks over all production.”

What are some recent achievements or events worth noting that you think have improved your career even more?

“My works have been exhibited at the Biennale of Contemporary Art in Genoa, Italy. My last exhibition, Return before the sun clears the fog in MicroGallery (Buenos Aires), has had a good reception and is even included in certain digital media sources that I respect, such as the Supplement Radar (Suplemento Radar). The most significant work of the exhibition was acquired by one of the most important collections of contemporary art in Argentina.”

What does art mean to you, and why do you feel your art has potential in its medium?

“It means the possibility of transcending a vision through time, among other things. It has also helped me live and connect with the world, and on the other hand, it has given me a space to play freely. If my art has potential, it is by the extent to which it has been done due to a vital necessity. When I’m doing good, when everything is going good, beauty appears in itself, along with the most fleeting.
Then things happen that you wouldn’t know how to explain. This process is constituted by objects that inhabit the space with a lot of naturalness that relates to each other because they have power, as they are small atmospheres that change according to the space surrounding them. They are fragile, yes, but fragility is human existence.”

What are the two words that describe your learning journey in the world of art? What were your most successful moments?

“When I learned something, the mechanism worked in situations where I didn’t expect that to happen. And at the same time, the opposite happened: Nobody needed to impose a method on me. There were stimuli, images, words, books, etc. Since I am also a teacher, I realize that you learn when there is curiosity and humility. You don’t take things with too much solemnity. The level of self-criticism must allow for free play. It was essential to have known and attended for several years some very classes informally with the painter Ignacio Gerry (Buenos Aires 1935-2020). My last sample was a tribute to his figure. The most successful moments, if you can say so, I lived with more intensity at the end. Like with a certain work that I liked and finding harmony in my work itself. I admire the recognition of other artists, as well as for some of my work being admitted into certain spaces and for some beautiful texts that were written in relation to my works.”

Where can we find his mentioned works, and why should we be honored by them? Why should we learn more about Dario Aguilar and his work of art?

“On my website dariogaguilar.wixsite.com/archivos or on my Instagram, @darioaguilar.ob .
You can know something new about my journey. I think my paintings require a time of contemplation to be appreciated as I work with subtleties and flee from the impact. Therefore, I suggest potential visitors take a few minutes to see my work.”