What’s there to know about Evan Rosato?
First, my name is Evan Rosato! After graduating with my B.F.A. in Drawing and Printmaking from the University of Central Florida, I worked as an assistant printer at Flying Horse Editions, a collaborative research space and fine art print publisher. I left this role after receiving a Fulbright to research non-toxic printmaking techniques here at the Academy and bring this information back to the U.S. When I return, I will begin my Masters in Printmaking at Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Why did you choose print-making as a medium?
I got into printmaking rather late while I was attending Indian River State College. My first impression was that print-making was incredibly frustrating and I would likely not do it as I continued to pursue art. However, while working as an intern at Flying Horse Editions, I learned how to do printmaking efficiently and professionally which cultivated the love I have for the medium today.
What is your work about?
The work that I started while in Belgium investigates my Colombian and White identity and analyzing the space I occupy between these two identities. Through this analysis, I attempt to locate the essence of what it means to be Latino, search for an equilibrium between these two distinct cultures, and explore the boundaries of race and identity through confronting my white and Latino ethos.
Can you tell us about your process? How do you work?
Since this body of work is relatively new, my process has been a bit intuitive as I try to hone my ideas as well as my process in creating those ideas. For the moment, my process begins with deciding which moments in my life accurately depict my experience of being Latino and how that may contrast coming from a White background. For instance, a series of drawings of plastic bags with “gracias” screen-printed on the front is meant to humorously references the stereotype that Latinos keep and reuse plastic bags, therefore you can’t blame them for contributing to single-use plastic pollution. Other drawings ask an audience to look closely as a metaphor for perception of others and how the act of looking changes perception.
What other artists are inspirations to you?
Some artists that inspire me now are Adrian Piper, Antonio Garcia Lopez, Oscar Murillo, and Gonzalo Fuenmayor. Fuenmayor’s work highlights the conflict between his Latino roots and the Europe heritage he has been exposed to while Piper, a biracial artist, challenges viewers assumptions about their own and others’ identities by addressing racism, otherness, and racial passing. Murillo, born in Colombia and emigrated to London as a child, investigates the cross-cultural ties in a globalized economy and the content of his work is embedded in social discourse and identity politics. Antonio Garcia Lopez’s work consistently has an emotive quality that I would like to emulate in my work and I look to him for that inspiration.
https://evanrosato.com
Comments