Tony Caramanico

Le Progres

2022

Surfing is often a combination of ecstasy and terror enjoyed in far-flung locations under very special conditions. Surfers are a brand of those lunatics you see on tv who risk sure death and dismemberment to get close to tornadoes, the difference being, surfers want to Ride it! And, the ride is similar to jumping off a ship’s mast in a gale...

Mixed media on panel

Part of the “Wooden Postcards” series by husband and wife team Hugo Garcia-Urrutia & MK Semos, "Rays of City Light" is shot using cross-processed medium format film and a Holga camera. The imagery is a vibrant New York City street scene, showing an iconic yellow taxi cab and abstract orange patterns and "rays of light" emulating from the buildings. The frames are manually juxtaposed inside the camera to create “rays” emulating from the urban chaos of taxi cabs and skyscrapers. Urrutia crafts the substrate from white oak flooring, with the natural wood grain becoming an essential element of the composition. The choice of white oak, with its natural grain visible through the film overlay, reinforces a sense of history and urban grit, allowing the wood itself to become an active part of the composition. HUGO GARCIA URRUTIA Hugo Garcia Urrutia is an interdisciplinary artist, interested in the cross-pollination between art and architecture. A graduate and active member of the Architectural Association in the United Kingdom, Urrutia’s work creates a distinct spatiality located at the interstice of art and architecture. His work explores and uses the technology for design and fabrication, with a sensitive and conscious reminder of the creativity of human endeavor. Urrutia graduated from the Architectural Association in 2013, earning a Master of Architecture in the Design & Make programme. In 2000, he graduated from Texas Tech University, with a Bachelor of Architecture and Design and received the 2000 Outstanding Thesis Award. In 2004, he founded Decorazon Gallery in Dallas’ historic Bishop Arts District where he directed, curated and exhibited numerous art/architectural exhibitions for national and international artists. His personal artwork has been exhibited in the United States, United Kingdom, Thailand, Colombia, and Hong Kong. His participation in art and architectural competitions and public projects include; the AIA Cincinnati, where he received the Design Award for the 2000 National Urban Poetry I competition and the 2005 ARQUINE - International Architecture Competition in Mexico City. His art installations – The Mexican Tsunami, and Making a Killing – have both been featured at the Art Santa Fe 2010 Contemporary Art Fair, curated by Charlotte Jackson, and University of Dallas and the McKinney Avenue Contemporary (MAC) in Dallas curated by Charissa N. Terranova. Together with the AA-DLAB 2012 team, Urrutia presented the Fallen Star at the Architectural Association Back Member’s Room. MK SEMOS MK Semos is a Greek-American artist whose work is deeply rooted in her passion for storytelling. Raised in Dallas, Texas, her artistic journey began at the Booker T. Washington School for the Performing and Visual Arts and later at the University of Texas at Austin, where she earned degrees in photojournalism and photo illustration. It was in New York City during the vibrant 1990s that her artistic vision crystallized. Captivated by the city's energy, Semos photographed its dynamic urban landscapes and eclectic people, using her SL 66 Rolleiflex camera to capture movement and emotion. Even after three decades, she finds endless inspiration in the city’s pulse, describing it as an "endless source of inspiration." Semos’ work spans travel, portraiture, and environmental photography, with her mastery of the Holga camera earning her recognition in publications like New York Magazine, Business Traveler, and Timeout NY. Alongside her husband, Hugo Garcia Urrutia, she co-founded DeCorazon Gallery, showcasing global artists and exhibiting her own works in prestigious art fairs around the world. Semos also serves on the board of the Association of Women Art Dealers...

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