Jorge Blanco

Jorge Blanco (born March 21, 1945, in Caracas) is a Venezuelan-born American artist, who emigrated to the United States in 1999. He has spent his professional career working as a sculptor, graphic designer and illustrator. He is the creator of the comic strip The Castaway. He served as Creative Director of El Museo de los Niños for twenty years.

Education Blanco began drawing and painting in 1967 and sculpting in the early 1970s, although he was interested in art from an early age. He received his formal training at the Neumann Institute in Caracas, Venezuela, which he attended with the aid of a scholarship. In 1971, Blanco graduated as an industrial designer from the Neumann Institute of Design in Caracas, Venezuela, after which he worked as a graphic designer. From 1975 to 1979, he lived in Rome, Italy, where he attended open classes at the Academy of Fine Arts.

Career Blanco's first solo exhibition was in 1974, where he showed sculpture and drawings. A year later, he moved to Rome, Italy, where he continued to work in sculpture while making a living by doing freelance graphic design drawing cartoons for a variety of newspapers and magazines, including political cartoons for the newspaper L'Opinione.

In 1978, Blanco participated in the Bordhigera Humor Salon, winning the Dattero D'Argento, and in the Monterotondo Sculpture Salon, where he was awarded the first prize for medium format sculpture.

In 1979, Blanco returned to Caracas, Venezuela, where he exhibited his sculptures and drawings at the Sofía Imber Museum of Contemporary Art. Here, he continued working in sculpture but he also designed and illustrated a children's newspaper El Cohete.

In 1980, he was hired as the Art Director for the Caracas Children's Museum (Art, Science and Technology, Museo de los Niños). He worked there until 1998.

That same year, Blanco created the comic strip The Castaway/El Náufrago, which made its debut in El Diario de Caracas. It was published in major newspapers and magazines in Venezuela and led to significant sales in merchandising and books. The Castaway was also adapted to television. Due to the comic's success, Blanco no longer had time to work on his sculpture alongside his work as freelance graphic designer, illustrator, and his job at the museum, and had to put sculpture aside.

In 1989, Blanco returned to sculpture, and eventually left the Caracas Children's Museum to move to the United States. Blanco began exhibiting again in both Venezuela and the United States as well as around the world. In 1996, Blanco installed four sculptures in Tokyo, Japan.

Since 1999, Blanco has lived and worked on the West Coast of Florida, with a particular focus on public art. In 2005, Blanco became an American citizen. He currently resides in Sarasota, Florida.

In 2007, Blanco received the John Ringling Visual Art Award.

The Castaway (El Naufrago) The Castaway is a comic strip created by Blanco in 1980 about a man trapped on an island that was originally printed in the newspaper El Diario de Caracas. "The Castaway" was also published in the United States in The Observer, a Sarasota-based weekly newspaper.

Influences Blanco's early works were influenced by his teachers Gertrude Goldschmidt (Gego) and Cornelis Zitman and by the work of artists such as Auguste Herbin, Paul Klee and Joan Miró. At this time, he worked with materials such as Lycra, rope, wood, mirrors, and bronze. In 1992, Blanco began to explore color and metal as a primary material.

Public art "Go Bongo", Ghent Station, Norfolk, Virginia, US "Swimming in Jupiter", Town of Jupiter, Florida, US "AIR", MARC athletic Center, Park City, Utah, US Breakaway, Renown Health Center, Reno, Nevada, US Yellow Thinker, Renown Health Center. Reno, Nevada, US El Camarada, José Ignacio, Punta del Este, Uruguay Freeriding, Jack Harris Park, North Central College, Michigan, US Dynamics, Fort Pierce, Florida, US For The Goal, Leawood Park, Kansas, US Red Run Red, Leawood Park, Kansas, US See Run Red, R Park, Roeland Park, Kansas, US Yellow Bench, Roeland Park, Kansas, US In The Swim, Marina Plaza, Fort Pierce, Florida, US Andalucia, Riverside Commerce Park, Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, US Alfresco, University Ridge Park, Reno, Nevada, US Smile, Boulevard of the Arts, Sarasota, Florida, US Pleasant Tree, Chula Vista Public Library, California, US Phoenix, Anderson Administration Building, Venice, Florida, US To Be Red, Longboat Key Center for the Arts, Sarasota, Florida, US Cartwheel, Public Arts in Public Schools Project, Sarasota, Florida, US The Runners, Sarasota, Florida, US Maratón, Caracas, Venezuela Nagayama Plaza, group of three sculptures, Tokyo, Japan Sun Smile, Azabu Juban, Minato Ku, Tokyo, Japan

Exhibits

Solo exhibitions 2014/15 "The Joy of Living" O. Ascanio Gallery, Miami, Florida, US 2012 "Art Nocturne" Sculpture. Knokke-Heist, Belgium 2010 "De Punta en Blanco" Sculpture. Espacio Tierra Negra Gallery. José Ignacio, Uruguay 2009 "New Sculptures" One-man exhibition. HW Gallery. Naples, Florida, US 1997 "Metálicas de Vida Alegre" Sculptures & Serigraphs. Icono Gallery. Caracas, Venezuela 1995 "Humor de Acero" Sculptures. Centro de Arte Euroamericano. Caracas, Venezuela 1992 "Caras y una Patilla" Sculpture. Galería Oscar Ascanio. Caracas, Venezuela 1979 "Esculturas y Dibujos" Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Caracas. Caracas, Venezuela 1978 "Scultura e Disegni" Istituto Italo-Latino Americano. Roma, Italia 1976 "Disegni" Paesi Nuovi Gallery. Roma, Italia 1974 "30 Dibujos" Galería Banap. Caracas, Venezuela

Selected group exhibitions 2015 "Contemporary Expressions & Recent Sculptures by Jorge Blanco" O. Ascanio Gallery, Miami, Florida, US 2015 "The Lightness of Being: Abstracts: Part I" Allyn Gallup Contemporary Art, Sarasota, Florida, US 2015 "Fluid Formalism: Concepts in Motion" O. Ascanio Gallery, Miami, Florida, US 2014 "Pinta Art Fair" O. Ascanio Gallery, Miami, Florida, US 2014 "Made in Sarasota", Allyn Gallup Contemporary Art, Sarasota, Florida, US 2013 "Movement Through Colors", O. Ascanio Gallery, Miami, Florida, US 2013 "Black, White & Red" A New Leaf Gallery/Sculpturesite, Sonoma, California, US 2012 "Aesthetic Perfection" O. Ascanio Gallery, Miami, Florida, US 2012 "Scope Miami" Miami, Florida, US 2012 "Small-format Sculpture" Galerie Artelie. Paris, France 2012 "Sculpture" Cafmeyer Gallery. Knokke-Heist, Belgium 2012 "Florida Outdoor Sculpture Competition" Polk Museum of Art + City of Winter Haven. Winter Haven, Florida, US 2011 "Burst Art Fair" Miami, Florida, US 2011 "Public Art Exhibition" Coastal Discovery Museum. Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, US 2010 "WOW 3" Large-scale Sculpture Exhibition. Fort Pierce, Florida, US 2008 "Cedarhurst Biennale" Cedarhurst Center for the Arts. Mt. Vernon, Illinois, US 2008 "Third Beijing International Art Biennale" National Art Museum of China, Beijing, China 2008 "WOW 2" Large-scale Sculpture Exhibition. Fort Pierce, Florida, US 2008 "Where the Wild Things (still) are" The Art Gallery at Florida Gulf Coast University. Fort Myers, Florida 2007 "Sarasota Season of Sculpture 4" Large-scale exhibition. Sarasota, Florida, US 2007 "Sculpture in the Plaza" Sculpturesite Gallery. San Francisco, California, US 2006 "Figuratively Speaking Exhibition" Large-scale sculpture. Stamford, Connecticut, US 2006 "Primary Colors" Sculpturesite Gallery. San Francisco, California, US 2006 "Sarasota Season of Sculpture Exhibition." Sarasota, Florida, US 2005 "Grand Opening Exhibition" Sculpturesite Gallery. San Francisco, California, US 2005"New Works" A New Leaf Gallery-Sculpture Site. Berkeley, California, US 2004 "Sculpture" Fenn Gallery. Woodbury, Connecticut, US 2004 "Sculpture" A New Leaf Gallery. Berkeley, California, US 2004 "ArteAmericas" Miami, Florida, US 2004 "Sculpture" Longboat Key Center for the Arts. Longboat Key, Florida, US 2004 "Urban Trees" Port of San Diego. California, US 2004 "Sarasota Season of Sculpture" Sarasota, Florida, US 2003 "Hispanic Artists" City of Aventura Government Building. Aventura, Florida, US 2003 "Sculpture" Katherine Butler Gallery. Sarasota, Florida, US 2001 "Pier Walk Exhibition" Navy Pier. Chicago, Illinois, US 1999 "Biennale Internazionale dell'Arte Contemporanea" Firenze, Italia 1998 "Fundraising Gala" John & Mable Ringling Museum of Art. Sarasota, Florida, US 1998 "Sculpture" Galleria Silecchia. Sarasota, Florida, US 1997 "Una Tonelada de Arte" Sculpture. Miami Beach, Florida, US 1997 "Sculpture," Virginia Miller Gallery. Coral Gables, Florida, US 1996 "Esculturas" Galería Ardentía. Porlamar, Venezuela 1993 "Coca-Cola, 50 años con el Arte" Galería Oscar Ascanio. Caracas, Venezuela 1993 "Primer Festival de Esculturas" Centro Cultural Consolidado. Caracas, Venezuela 1987 "Primer Festival de Arte Venezolano" Galería Oscar Ascanio. Caracas, Venezuela 1981 "Primera Bienal de Artes Visuales" Museo de Bellas Artes, Caracas, Venezuela 1980 "Esculturas" Galería Terracota. Caracas, Venezuela 1979 "XVIII Premio Internacional de Dibujo Joan Miro" Barcelona, España 1979 "Dibujos" Concejo Municipal del Distrito Federal. Caracas, Venezuela 1979 "XXXVII Salon Arturo Michelena" Ateneo de Valencia. Venezuela 1979 "XVII Premio Salón Internacional de Dibujo Joan Miro" Barcelona, España 1979 "Primer Salón de Dibujo Nuevo" Banco Central de Venezuela. Caracas, Venezuela 1978 "III Salón Internacional de Escultura, Pintura y Gráfica" Torre D'Ansperto, Milano, Italia 1977 "Mostra di Artisti Latinoamericani a Roma" Galleria San Marco, Roma, Italia 1977 "XVI Premio Internacional de Dibujo Joan Miro" Barcelona, España 1977 "Nuevas Proposiciones" Casa Bello. Caracas, Venezuela 1977 "Muestra de Dibujos" Sala de la Cultura. Diputación de Navarra, Pamplona, España 1975 "XXXIII Salón Arturo Michelena" Ateneo de Valencia, Venezuela 1975 "Primer Encuentro de Jóvenes Artistas" Casa de la Cultura. Maracay, Venezuela 1975 "IV Salón Nacional de Jóvenes Artistas" INCIBA. Caracas, Venezuela 1975 "Plástica Jóven" Instituto Venezolano del Petróleo. Caracas, Venezuela 1975 "Primer Salón de Dibujo, Grabado y Diseño Gráfico". Universidad de los Andes. Mérida, Venezuela 1975 "II Salón Nacional de Escultura" Universidad de Carabobo. Valencia, Venezuela 1975 "Varias Visiones" Galería G. Caracas, Venezuela 1974 "XXXII Salon Arturo Michelena" Ateneo de Valencia. Valencia, Venezuela 1973 "III Salón Nacional de Jóvenes Artistas" INCIBA. Caracas, Venezuela 1973"Primer Salón de Arte Centro Plaza" Caracas, Venezuela 1971 "Gráfica Joven" Galería de Arte y Grabado. Caracas, Venezuela