| ASENCIO
- “Abstract Expressionism” or “Abstract Realism”, Asencio's
work cannot be pigeonholed by style or semantics. His open
brushwork, sweeping color, use of texture and precise
drawing skills have resulted in a body of work that has
earned him international accolades.
In 1996,
Asencio was sponsored by art supply company, Thayer and
Chandler, which resulted in exposure in exhibitions as far
as Germany and Paris. In 1998, Asencio's work was recognized
in an art competition in Amsterdam. Earning the prestige of
being a first time artist dually awarded with gold and
silver medals in two separate divisions, he was acknowledged
for self portraiture in oils and work in acrylic medium.
Excellence in his chosen discipline, Asencio graduated with
honors from the San Francisco Art Academy in 1999. He was a
chosen finalist in an Artist's Magazine competition that
same year, again for his work in portraiture.
Although he
earned a living as a portrait artist early in his career,
today Asencio is “more concerned with creating a mood and
pushing the aesthetic rather than achieving a true likeness
as the ultimate end.” The artist refers to his current
content of his work as “sublime figures with aggressive
application”. He claims to be naturally drawn to paint the
human figure for its timeless sensitivity” and he adds,
“nothing inspires me more intensely than the female form.”
Noted for the sensual vitality of his work that is striking
and simple yet, sustain its integrity through the
subtleties.” In the end, it is the impulsive approach to his
art and the passion expressed in each Asencio painting that
has the power to move the viewer and take on an identity all
its own.
Asencio
proclaims an admiration for artists who have chosen their
own path, those who are inspired to follow their muse. And
it is this path that he has chosen for himself as a fine
artist. Inspired by the works of British artist Lucien
Freud, the grandson of Sigmund Freud, Asencio claims, “his
work of the flesh is unsurpassed”. He is also motivated by
the “unbelievable vision, work ethic and unrelenting
passion” of Pablo Picasso. Other notable inspirations
include Wilhelm de Kooning for “making every stroke of the
brush different” and Gustav Klimt for “making decorative
painting with integrity.”
Using life as
a vehicle to produce his art, Asencio's work translates an
impulse into his own reality on canvas and other surfaces.
He has recently begun to paint on board, as the surface is
more resilient to his aggressive paint style. The artist
prefers to work in oils as “nothing compares to the richness
and workability of the oil medium and it fits my technique
perfectly.” He frequently works with live models or
photographs. He will begin a painting with gesture drawing
and then begin to mix color and apply the paint according to
his temperament. Asencio applies the thick paint with a
palette knife thereby transforming a traditional painting
into one possessing his signature style.
A native of
California, today the artist lives and works in his studio
near San Jose, north of his birthplace of Los Angeles.
|