About
Biography
Naturally gifted with a keen observation of life including the cultural, social, political and religious landscape in the world we live, Paul Torres' art embodies a rich imagination and is laced with social commentary with a soulful interpretation of everyday life. Paul was born and raised in Santiago Chile, in Las Condes, his birth name is Pablo Torres Urmeneta, his interest in art began at age 3 after being introduced to comic books. Early on, Paul also became influenced by Hollywood films, such as Film Noir, Horror, Detective and Westerns, and also by European Art, such as Baroque, Impressionism, Surrealism, and American Art. Coming to the United States for a one-year and at the age of 9, Paul fell in love with the art culture in Los Angeles. After immigrating to the United States permanently at age 18, Paul served in the U.S. Army, became a US citizen at 21 years old, attended Otis Parsons Art Institute, and then in 1998 he received his Bachelor of Fine Art in Illustration/Fine Arts from the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California. He had the privilege of studying with several prominent artists, such as Daniel Greene, Jan Saether, Albert Handell and many more, and also worked for many years in the Animation and Movie industry, as a character and background designer, he was a key character designer for a few seasons for DIC Entertainment "The Real Ghostbusters", an animated TV series, he worked on "Cool World" by Ralph Bakshi, and many more TV Shows, and Films. Paul actively shows in Los Angeles, across the US and internationally. He has been a featured Solo Artist at various Galleries such as La Luz de Jesus Gallery, Grand Central Gallery, Chimmaya Gallery, The Hive Gallery, among others. And he has been part of many two person Shows, and group Shows such as the Copro Gallery, Distinction Gallery, Rico Gallery, The Hive Gallery, Muckenthaler Cultural Center among many others. Paul was also represented at the rental and sales gallery in the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. He has been written about in Cultcrusher, Legend, Juxtapoze, Reddoor magazine, Browndwarf Compendium Magazine, The Big Book of Contemporary Illustration and many more publications and sites throughout the world. Paul currently resides in Alhambra, California with his beloved wife Clara. Artist Statement I feel that art can help people in a variety of ways, as a form of communication, a bridge, a unifying tool, it can help people see things and their surroundings in a completely new way. It can also help to inform them of world events, history, culture and spirituality. As a window to a person’s own soul, as entertainment, healing, and also as a tool for peace and understanding. Societies have always looked at artists for spiritual messages. Of course, all of us see things differently, according to our upbringing, culture, moral values, interest, etc. I’d say children see art in the most pure form, so art in my opinion should not be made for a defined group of people, but instead, it should reach as many people as possible. Some will understand it on one level and others perhaps with more life experiences and education will see more of the underlying messages and hopefully enough will respond to it. As an artist, this can only be achieved with a grounded knowledge of academic art training, methods, and techniques in the craft. Knowledge of the history of Renaissance painting and a thorough understanding of Western art and culture, and an understanding of Eastern culture is beneficial as well. In order to achieve the tools, technique and language to fully express oneself, one must come to a point of complete mastery of one’s craft. So one is able to devote one’s energy, effort, time to the content of the work. Therefore one can fully develop a personal and unique vision, that hopefully will connect with people, I aim to make my work interesting, different enough, and original on every level possible. I am always asking myself how can I make this, in a way that nobody has done it before, or in a way that I have not seen it before, in technique, color, value, surface, texture, design, composition and content. I will always begin by putting extra effort to design and value, because that is the core of a good painting, and the most important element of pictorial language. I strongly believe that the world doesn’t need another painting. I don’t think there’s enough room for it, but we can all surely accept another masterpiece. We live in a time now where everything competes for everyone’s attention, jumping at us from every corner like videos, computers, TV, cell phones, radios, car horns, sirens, ads everywhere. We also live in a time where people are talking less to each other. It is harder today more than ever to capture someone’s full attention. So therefore, in some ways artists have to think of all of this and join in the competition, so to speak, or completely ignore it. An artist needs to make work that is powerful enough to compete with the biggest colorful billboard, or the loudest song, and hopefully vanquish them. I hope to bring beauty, hope, joy, faith, healing, happiness, inspiration, and move or stir someone, and promote self-awareness to people with my work, that apart from my family my work gives me plenty of happiness. In the end I’d like my work to last through time, for as long as possible, because it is the product of my experiences of the time that I live in, and it comes from the love I have for life, people and the earth, and hopefully my work can enrich people’s lives in a positive way. Sincerely Yours, Paul Torres Jan 9, 2024 Paul Torres-Resume paultorre9@yahoo.com (213) 268-6843 Education • 1998: BFA, Art Center College of Design, Pasadena, CA • 1984: Otis Parsons Art Institute, Los Angeles, CA • Studied with Daniel Greene, Albert Handell, Joseph Mendez and Jan Saether at Bruchion School Selected Solo Exhibitions • Keep the Shiny Side Up, La Luz de Jesus Gallery, Los Angeles CA, March 2023 • Terra Firme, Chimmaya Gallery, Los Angeles CA, November 2016 • Bamboo Lane Gallery, Los Angeles CA, Fly on the Wall 2011 • Grand Central Gallery, Santa Ana, CA, Idiosyncratic Behavior 2009 • The Conference Room Gallery, Los Angeles, CA 2008 • Norm Maxwell Gallery, Los Angeles, CA, High Low Brow, 2007 • Bamboo Lane Gallery, Los Angeles, CA, Terra Incognita 2007 Selected Two Person Exhibitions • Cactus Gallery, Eagle Rock, CA, Wish You Were Here 2008 • The Conference Room Gallery, Los Angeles, CA Meeting 1.4", Beverly Hills, CA 2008 • Koos Art Center, Long Beach, CA 2008 • Harold Golen Gallery, Miami, FL, Living Dead 2007 • Distinction Gallery, Escondido, CA 2007 • Ratatouille, Kodak Theatre, Hollywood, CA (coincided with Red Carpet Screening) 2007 • Cannibal Flower, Los Angeles, CA, Featured Artist 2007 • The Hive Gallery and Studios, Los Angeles, CA, Featured Artist 2007 Selected Group Exhibitions •Brassworks Gallery, The Vault, Portland, Oregon, July 2022 •Artbarla, The Nitty gritty group Art show, Los Angeles, CA, May 2022 •La Luz de Jesus Gallery, "In My Room", Los Angeles CA, February 2022 •La Luz de Jesus Gallery, Onward 2.0, Los Angeles CA, March 2021 • Garage Gallery, "Nature Themed Art Show", Los Angeles CA, Sept 2019 • Garage Gallery, "4 year anniversary Show", Los Angeles CA, July 2019 • Garage Gallery, "Art Show", Los Angeles, CA, May 18, 2019 • Nude Art LA, Art Share LA, Los Angeles CA, Sept 2018 • 13th Anniversary Exhibition, Chimmaya Gallery, Los Angeles, CA, July 2018 • El Festival de las Flores, Neutra Museum, Glendale, CA, April 2018 • Pop-Surreal Playhouse, Art Share LA, Los Angeles, CA, Sept 2017 • Drinkinsmokinwestcoastin at Think tank Gallery, Los Angeles, CA, August 2017 • The Inmigrant Artist Group Show", Neutra Museum, Glendale, CA, March 2017 • We the people, downtown artwalk,artwalk lounge, Los Angeles, CA, January 2017 • New Year, New Art, Neutra Institute Gallery & Museum, Los Angeles, CA, January 2017 • Annual December Group Show, Chimmaya Gallery, Los Angeles, CA, December 2016 • Small Works Group Exhibition, Chimmaya Gallery,Los Angeles, CA, November 2016 • 11th Anniversary Exhibition Open Theme/Dia de los Muertos, Chimmaya Gallery, Los Angeles, CA, October 2016 • Taco Truck on every corner, Lobby Gallery, Los Angeles CA, October 2016 • An Homage to Frida Kahlo,Chimmaya Gallery, Los Angeles, CA September 2016 • A Retrospective of Gender: Female/Male Portraits,Nudes & Pin Ups, Sagrado Corazon/Virgen, Chimmaya Gallery Los Angeles, CA, July 2016 • 3rd Annual Sagrado Corazon / 1st Annual Virgen Exhibition, Chimmaya Gallery, Los Angeles, CA, May 2016 • 11th Year Anniversary, the Hive Gallery, Los Angeles, CA, April 2016 • October/Fall Exhibition, ChimMaya Gallery,Los Angeles, CA October 2015 • The 3rd Annual Coaster Show, La Luz De Jesus Gallery, Sept 2015 • 10th Year Anniversary, Chimmaya Gallery, Los Angeles, CA, May 2015 • 10th Year Anniversary, the Hive Gallery, Los Angeles, CA, April 2015 • Laluzapalooza, La Luz de Jesus Gallery, Los Angeles, CA, March 2015 • Service, Muzeo Museum, Anaheim, CA, November 2014 • Freak Wave, Galerie Grand'rue, Poitiers, France, Oct 2014 • Spectrum-Gestalt, Bleicher Project Space, Santa Monica, CA 2014 • Caja, Gallery 423 West, Los Angeles, CA, July 2013 • Museum of Eroticism, L'Etrange Peuple de Freak Wave, Paris,France 2012-2013 • Latin Fusion, Noho Gallery, North Hollywood, CA, Featured Artist 2011 • WWA Gallery, Culver City, Lilacs Out of the Dead Land, CA 2011 • The Alternative Café, Seaside, CA, Beautiful Dreamers 2010 • 100 Artists see satan, Grand Central Gallery, Santa Ana, CA 2009 • Loft at Liz's Gallery, Los Angeles, CA 2009 • Lighting in a Bottle Festival, Irvine CA, Live Painter 2009 • Saturnalia”, Copro Gallery, Los Angeles, CA 2009 • Cave Gallery, Venice Beach, CA 2009 • Everything but the Kitchen Sync”, La Luz de Jesus Gallery 2009 • High Fructose, Copro Gallery, Los Angeles, CA 2009 • Transformation", Create Fixate, Los Angeles, CA 2008 • The Hive Gallery, Los Angeles, CA 2008 • United Cat-Safari Sam's, Los Angeles, CA 2008 • Project 57, Distinction Gallery, Escondido, CA 2008 • Red Balloons, Cactus Gallery, Eagle Rock, CA 2008 • Chupacabras, Solid Gallery One, Los Angeles, CA 2008 • Don't go to the Mall, Julie Rico Gallery, Los Angeles, CA 2008 • Love and Bullets, The Grind, Los Angeles, CA 2008 • The Son of Sin & Mystic Blockhead, Koos Art Center, Los Angeles, CA 2008 • Pussy and the Pooch, Beach Gallery, Los Angeles, CA 2009 • Brushes, Needles & Burnouts, Kustom Kulture Gallery, New York, NY 2008 • Kiss the Canvas, Kustom Kulture, Baldwin, NY 2008 • SurfBEAT, The Light Gallery, Costa Mesa, CA 2008 • Having Fun with Animals, Monkey House, Silver Lake, CA 2008 • Blood Work, The ARTery Gallery, Costa Mesa, CA 2008 Bustin' Out, Rock Rose Gallery, Highland Park, CA 2008
• California Legislature Assembly Certificate of Recognition,for teaching Art to the Youth at CCNP, from assembly member Miguel Santiago, Los Angeles • Film Roman/Level 13/Rico Gallery - Best of Show Fine Arts Competition Exhibition 1999 • • Los Alamitos Cultural Center Annual Show - Best of Show 1987 • Fine Art Scholarship - Art Center School of Design, Pasadena, CA 1987 • Anaheim Art Association Art Shows - First Prize, Best of Show 1984 Television and Movie work • 2011 Paintings (4) were featured on CBS NCIS-LA Television November Show • In between Animator and Character Designer for "Cool World" by Ralph Bakshi Production, Burbank, CA, 1991 • Character and Background Designer for "Slimer and The Real Ghostbusters" for DIC entertainment, Burbank, CA 1986-1989 Features ad Publications
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