The Art of Carlos A. Franco-Ruiz

Carlos A. Franco-Ruiz is an artist who lives and works in Sauce, Uruguay. His work explores the seemingly mundane locales in which we all reside—the derelict buildings, bustling docks and overgrown neighbourhoods—but what he creates is the “deconstruction of an environment ignored.”

Born in Nicaragua during the twilight of the country’s civil war, his parents migrated to Little Havana in Miami when he was just one. He received his Bachelor of Fine Arts, at the University of Miami, in 2011, and briefly considered joining the police academy, before deciding to pursue a career in the arts.

In 2013 he moved to Uruguay to further his creative process, and has since launched his first solo exhibition, Fractured Moments, at Roggia Galerie.

Who or what are your main influences?

Lately, my biggest influence has been my surroundings; it has been a big driving force in regard of where I am taking my new pieces. I live on a small farm in the countryside of Uruguay, and as I walk around the property, I am constantly wondering what can be painted, what can be turned into a new series, how much our surroundings are ignored, and how much beauty there is to be painted.

Some of my biggest influence as painters are: Kim Cogan, Brett Amory, Alex Kanevsky and Lucien Freud.

What does a typical day look like for you?

A typical day for me starts at 5:45 am: I wake up, prepare coffee, and then spend the next hour on the computer, answering email, reading news and looking for music. I spend between 7-8 am painting, trying to focus on what needs to be improved and putting color into the painting. After 8 am, I spend most of my time doing things around the house and the farm, it is not until 3pm that I can find time to get back into painting.

The two hours I have in the middle of the day, 3-5 pm, are some of my best painting sessions because the natural lighting that comes into my studio helps me see what needs to be improved and what colors are missing from the painting. I won’t return to painting until after 8 pm and I stay up until midnight. That is a typical day of painting for me.

What are you currently working on?

I am currently working on a new series of painting for the coming year, the theme of the work is, “water is the archê of all things”. I am exploring the movement of water through my farm at the moment, and continuing this study throughout the town I reside in. I am curious on how it impacts us on every level of life, but yet we ignore its importance. This series is larger than my previous work at approximately 1 meter by 1 meter (39.5 inches × 39.5 inches) and more abstract in its execution.

Read more from Issue No. 1 or share on Twitter.