Ciuco Gutiérrez

Ciuco Gutiérrez - Claws

Artist Biography:

 

Ciuco Gutiérrez delves into the complex relationship between female nudes and still lifes, seeking a space that allows for introspection and understanding. Through his series "Scenarios for Confrontation", Gutiérrez engages in a captivating dialogue that explores the realms of objects and the profound feminine archetype. Gutiérrez's artistic career has always been intertwined with objects, the exclusive protagonists of many of his compositions. Fascinated by the mundane and seemingly insignificant, she chooses objects such as souvenirs, trinkets, toys and other artifacts from mass culture. Despite their ephemeral nature, these objects possess deep meaning, and Gutierrez's artistic interventions, whether ironic, satirical, critical, or purely aesthetic, shed light on their marginalized histories. Through his lens, these objects become conduits for human realities, exemplifying the reification of society in the context of our consumer-driven civilization. The artist has rarely focused on individuals in his previous works. However, in this particular series, originally presented at Tabacalera in Madrid in 2015, Gutiérrez revisits deeply rooted atavistic and social archetypes. Her intention is to juxtapose the female body with the concept of the eternal feminine as an ephemeral entity in constant evolution. The objectification of women and the fetishistic processes she endures go beyond the physical realm and into the realm of emotions. However, Gutiérrez's exploration does not stop at the mere condemnation of women as mere "sexual objects" and the implications this entails for their status as subjects. On the contrary, she strives to capture the essence of the liberated woman, delving into her profound subjectivity. Through her photographic compositions, Gutiérrez's subjects draw strength from the expressive power of bodily actions, participating in a visual "dance" in which every gesture has a profound meaning. In this way, Gutiérrez elaborates a new bodily alphabet that ultimately brings us back to an understanding of women as autonomous subjects capable of configuring and producing their own realities. Her images are represented in private and public collections, including the Museo Nacional de Arte Reina Sofía in Madrid, the IVAM in Valencia, the Telefónica Collection, the Northern Collection of Contemporary Art of the Government of Cantabria, the Community of Madrid, the La Caixa Foundation in Barcelona, the City Council of Alcobendas, the City Council of Alcorcón, Caja Cantabria, the Coca Cola Foundation, the Diputación de Cádiz, UNICAJA, the Niemeyer Art Center in Avilés, etc. He has curated exhibitions for different institutions, including the Ministry of Culture of Spain and the AECID, the latter being touring exhibitions in different Latin American countries.