October 11 – November 18, 2012
Opening Reception: Thurday, October 11, 6 – 8 p.m.
INDEXG GALLERY
50 Gladstone Avenue
Toronto. ON M6J 1J6
T: 416.533.1374
INDEXG.com or joseortega.com
Hours: Wed – Sun 1 – 6 p.m.
Jose Ortega, co-founder and Artistic Director of Toronto’s famed Lula Lounge presents his first solo visual arts show at Toronto’s INDEXG Gallery on October 11 through to November 18.
Ortega, well respected and recognized for his contributions to Toronto’s musical life, is also an established visual artist whose work has been exhibited internationally. Born in Guayaquil, Ecuador, Ortega studied art in New York City and before moving to Toronto, established himself as a commercial artist working with high profile brands such as Absolut Vodka, Apple Computers, Bloomingdale’s and the New York Times. He has designed and completed numerous public art commissions including a series of mosaic murals for two NYC subway stations. Recent projects include a sequence of street murals for Dundas Street West in Toronto and postage stamp designs for both the US and Ecuadorian postal services.
Music is Ortega’s muse and this solo exhibition has been inspired by the sounds of jazz. Using paint and collage on wood and cardboard, Ortega has approached each piece as if it were a song with rhythm, colour, harmony and a narrative. His quest for composition within chance reveal interesting and intricate patterns reminiscent of ancient Persian rug designs, Arab mosque tiles and geometric shapes found in South American textile. A rich colour palette of browns and ochres as well as a monochromatic paint-patchwork, display not only technical abilities but character and attention to detail.
Jose Ortega will be sharing the gallery with his mother, Juana Zuñiga, a self-taught artist. Zuñiga’s collection of art pieces are a colourful prism of magical scenes created from fabric and paint. Her work has been included in illustration catalogs and she has participated in group shows in the US and Canada.