ARTmonday: Carlos Estrada-Vega

I discovered the works of Mexican-born, California-based contemporary artist Carlos Estrada-Vega at Ernden Fine  Art Gallery in Provincetown. His three-dimensional chunks of color are so satisfyingly saturated and rich, like high quality Cray-Pas. In fact, many of the works are created from a mixture of materials that may well produce an oil pastel effect on paper. The paintings consist of tiny square pegs of wood, usually no larger than one inch in diameter, which are individually painted with pure pigment and then attached with a small imbedded magnet on the back to a steel plate. The effect is quite tactile; very much like a modern children’s toy you might find at an art museum gift shop. Here are some examples of his work:

Bonita Carter #43-III, 2008
Oleopasto, wax, pigment, oil & limestone (8″ x 8″)
Margaret Thatcher Projects, NYC

Walt,  2005
Wax/Oleopasto/Oil/Pigments on Canvas on Wood with Magnet Inserts attached
to a Metal Plate (10″ x 10″)
Roy Boyd Gallery, Chicago

Procopio, 2008
Wax/Oleopasto/Oil/Pigments/ Limestone Dust on Automotive Primer on Wood with Magnet Inserts attached to a Metal Plate (33.25″ x 33.25)
Roy Boyd Gallery, Chicago

Bo’quecito, 2008
Wax/Oleopasto/Oil/Pigments/Limestone Dust on Automotive Primer on
Wood with Magnet Inserts attached to a Metal Plate (36″ x 36)
Roy Boyd Gallery, Chicago

Saulito, 2008
Oleopasto, wax, pigment, oil & limestone (6″ x 6″)
Margaret Thatcher Projects, NYC

Working Drawing #6, 2007
oil, wax, oleopasto, limestone dust, and pigments on panel (12 x 12 x 1″)
d.e.n. contemporary, Beverly Hills

Güerita, 2008
Wax/Oleopasto/Oil/Pigments/Limestone Dust on Automotive Primer on Wood with Magnet Inserts attached to a Metal Plate (8.25″ x 8.25″)
Roy Boyd Gallery, Chicago

Maceo, 2005
Margaret Thatcher Projects, NYC

Working Drawing #8, 2008
Oleopasto, wax, pigment, oil & limestone (5″ x 5″ x 1″)
Margaret Thatcher Projects, NYC

79 squares
oil, wax, oleopasto, limestone dust and pigment on canvas on wood
Artnet.com

Stephanie’s, 2008
Oleopasto, wax, pigment, oil & limestone (8″ x 8″)
Margaret Thatcher Projects, NYC

Caridad, 2007
Wax/Oleopasto/Oil/ Dry Pigments on Canvas on Wood with Magnet Inserts attached to a Metal Plate
(17.5″ x 17.5″)
Roy Boyd Gallery, Chicago

Working Drawing #9, 2008
Oleopasto, wax, pigment, oil & limestone (5″ x 5″ x 1″)
Margaret Thatcher Projects, NYC

Paulita, 2004
Elizabeth Leach Gallery, Portland, OR

4 x 4 = 17
Wax, limestone dust, oil, pigment on canvas on wood (16.3″ x 16.3″ x 1.4″)
Conny Dietzschold Gallery, Sydney

Untitled, 2003
Ölkreide, Wachs, Pigment, Öl und Kalkstein auf Papier (9″ x 9″)
Art Forum Ute Barth, Zurich

Annemie, 2004
Limestone and wax on wood on metal (7.9″ x 7.9″ x: 1.2″)
Conny Dietzschold Gallery, Sydney

Working Drawing #5, 2007
Oleopasto, wax, pigment, oil & limestone (12″ x 12″ x 1″)
Margaret Thatcher Projects, NYC

Aria II, 2008
Oleopasto, wax, pigment, oil & limestone (8.25″ x 8.25″)
Margaret Thatcher Projects, NYC

Kazan, 2006
oil, wax, oleopasto, limestone dust and pigments on canvas on wood (38 1/2″ x 38 1/2″)
d.e.n. contemporary, Beverly Hills

Topside view of the cube, Carlitos, 2008
Margaret Thatcher Projects, NYC

Untitled Drawing, 2003
Oleopasto, wax, pigment, oil & limestone (9″ x 9″)
Margaret Thatcher Projects, NYC

Author: StyleCarrot

Marni Elyse Katz is a design writer and editor who lives in Boston and Cape Cod with her husband, two sons, and a cat. She blogs about design at www.stylecarrot.com View all posts by StyleCarrot