Early artistic development at NYC:

Carlos Irizarry was born in Santa Isabel, PR in 1938 and became one of the thousand that embodied the diaspora of Puerto Ricans that immigrated to the United States during that historical flux. He arrived at the “Big Apple” with his mother in 1946. They settled at the Bronx. At that time he was an eight year old boy.

Growing up he developed a serious interest in Art. As a young man, he enrolled at the Art and Design School were studied Commercial Art. During his formative period, by his own initiative and dedication he initiated his journey to become an artist.

Development of  his narrative resourses:

Arm with a natural talent to execute an hyper realistic style, Carlos Irizarry dedicated to master the technics of painting and the silk screen printing process. He showed astoic determination to learn the complex processes of graphic art printing. During this time he experimented with different methods of printing serigraphs. Fueled by an unaltered passion, he created his vehicle through art, by exposing and denouncing social and political issues, by an incisive visual impact.

Stablished presence in the New York art scene:      

Irizarry matured artistically in New York, during the happening of the effervescent movements of artistic revolution known as the” New York School” and  the “POP ART”

His art work was showed at openings in top rated New York art galleries such as: the Caravan House Gallery, Allan Rich Galleries and Tibor de Nagy Gallery. 

Henry Geldzhaler, who was the Director of American Contemporary Art of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, acquired for his personal art collection, Irizarry’s master painting titled "Rembrandt vs. The New York School". Carlos Irizarry’s silk screen art was handpicket by Pop Icon Andy Warhol to form part of his personal

Art Collection.

Back to the Island:

In 1968 Irizarry returns to Puerto Rico. He founded the National Center for the Arts and Gallery 63, in Old San Juan. He became a precursor of innovative methods of printing graphic art. He introduced the photo-serigraph technic in the island and became the first artist to use it as an effective resource for his graphic art narrative effectiveness. The use of photography mixed with hyper realistic drawing and painting are constant methods of his figurative execution.

Creative process and digital technology:

In his executions, we can appreciate his constant interest in applying advanced contemporary art technics to fulfill his own expectations. At the beginning of the era of computers, this artist was a pioneer in the use of this technology to create art. By experimenting with modern digital materials the artist developed a unique process of permanent transfer of ink pigment to the support media. This original technical invention of the artist has also been a constant element of artistic evolution of the latter stages of his production. He has consistently used that particular technic in many of his outstanding creations since 1980.

The artist Carlos Irizarry has been and continues to be, an innovator in art creation technics of: painting, mixed media art, handmade traditional serigraph printing and graphic and digital media applied to art.

Intercontinental status:

Carlos Irizarry’s artistic reach is considered by experts to be Intercontinental. His art has been exhibited in the Caribbean, North America, South America, the Orient, East Europe and West Europe.  

His master paintings and art prints form part of principal museums art collections: Museum of Art of Puerto Rico, Museum of Art of Ponce, Museum of Contemporary Art of Puerto Rico and Museum del Barrio in New York.. You can find his work, in the Latin American art print collection of the Museum of Modern Art and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.

Honored for his life time dedication to Art.

Our artist has been a resident of Old San Juan for many decades. In the magic city, he has created a great number of his art masterpieces. In the year 2008 the Organizational Committee of  the traditional “Fiestas de San Sebastian” (San Sebastian Carnival festivities) honored artist Carlos Irizarry, by dedicating that year’s event to him, a well deserved recognition to his legacy as a prominent figure of Puerto Rico’s culture.

 

Text by René Castillo Ramos  

Reproduction denied without author consent Copyright © 2015