MICHAEL ALZAMORA

FLAT SURREALISM, SURREAL EXPRESSIONISM

I was born in Bogota Colombia in 1964 and immigrated to Toronto, Canada in 1975 at the age of 10.

During my formatting years in Colombia I was enthralled by the beautiful mountains that surround Bogota. The picturesque cloud formations hovered close by, since Bogota is in high altitude.

The beautiful surroundings were greatly overshadowed by the fear that I felt due to the high crime that plagues Bogota. This duality of beauty and fear is represented in some of my paintings.

I began painting sporadically in 1994 as a form of art therapy for my psychiatric condition. I started as an outsider artist because I had no formal fine arts education, or knowledge of Art History. It was until 1998 that I began to solidify my first signature style.

Visually some of my paintings take me back to my childhood in Bogota. The colourful mountains dominate the beautiful landscapes. However, elements of fear are intertwined in these paintings as a reminder of the beauty and angst in everyday life in Bogota. This instilled fear in my childhood may have been the precursor for mental illness. Other paintings deal with the struggles of mental illness. They are represented in a surreal fashion.

The common denominator between all my signature styles is what I call FLAT SURREALISM. “Flat surreal” paintings are composed of objects as symbols juxtaposing each other on one plane to create a true meaning. In 2015 I changed my style to what I call now SURREAL EXPRESSIONISM.

My work has appeared in the Globe and Mail, The Journal of Addiction and mental health, The Life Network’s “Real Life” program, and “Surface and Symbol” publish by the Scarborough Arts Council.

I am specially fond of surrealism, impressionism, abstract expressionism, pop art, and the renaissance period.

I like the works of Georgia O’keeffe, Pablo Picasso, Andy Warhol, Vincent Van Gogh, Keith Harring, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Fernando Botero, Tamara De Lempicka, Hito Steyerl, Mickalene Thomas, young to adult prodigy Alexandra Nechita, Will Cotton, Jeff Koons, Ewa Juszkiewicz, KAWS, Yayoi Kusama, and the whole NY art scene.

I am also fond of David Hockney’s contribution to art history; specifically his ground breaking thesis “Secret Knowledge” which he published in a book. He boldly suggests that renaissance painters used optics to lay on the sketches before and during the painting process.

I also like Canadian artists: Lawrence Harris, Emily Carr, The late Rob Gonsalves, Irene Kott, Menno Krant, Bobbie Burgers, Norval Morrisseau, Alex Cameron, Joseph Drapell, the gifted Lisa Birke, Vickie Vainionpaa, Melanie Authier.  Lately my taste in art has shifted from painting to other media. These days I am specially fond of Edward Burtynsky, Brian Jungen and Rebecca Belmore.

In the 20th century Pablo Picasso and Andy Warhol set visual arts free.