ARTIST STATEMENT

I could say that I am a self-taught artist, because I haven´t an academically trained in Fine Arts. Although I studied Illustration with renowned Argentine and Colombian illustrators and I was trained in the workshops of Argentine masters in both painting and drawing.

My university study comes from Fashion Design. I worked in fashion production for more than 15 years, in a time that I like to remark, everything was done by hand. There were no digital programs, no computers, no internet. Everything was done handcrafted, even the backgrounds for photographic productions were painted by hand, and I spent hours drawing textures, textiles and figurines. Later, I obtained a more theoretical approach with my degree in Curation and Art Management, what allowed me to study Art History and find a theoretical-artistic context for my works. I have been working since the 90s, and at that time my work was totally figurative. I imagine the influence of fashion had a lot to do with that. Although I always kept the same humor and irony as those of today. To break with the rigidity of illustration and figuration, around 2015 I began to make a work more linked to movement and the phenomenon of repetition. Having done Ballet for more than 12 years, gave me the knowledge of the beat, the music, the rhythm, the choreographed movement, all tools that I used in a more performative work. Since 2017 I began to combine live actions with works that reflected the repetition of the movement. I found in that abstraction, in that repetitive gestures, the identification with certain moments of my childhood, almost in a silence of a Zen meditation, the blows of the media on the paper transported me to the hours I spent drawing as a child. Hence the influence of Art Brut in my current work. Where somehow that abstraction came to life until it became a character, but still retains that essence of repetition, overlap and movement.

My Monster Collection maintains the naive and childhood style, combining popular aspects that people identify with, what define a Childlike Neo Pop style.

PROCESS

Debbie states, “I think in colors. Before starting each work, I know what colors I’m going to use and what their composition is. I first make the bases of the background and then with a spatula and gesso I draw the character. Which gives it a more spontaneous aspect and generates the first texture. The mixture of techniques and materials, the clumsy line, the oil pastel used as a crayon, the vibrant color palette and even the motif, refer to games and to childhood. To my happy childhood.

The Monster Collection teaches us different states of mind that play with humor and irony, showing the circumstances of everyday life. Many of my works cite moments from my childhood, such as stairs, Lego towers, board games, rainbows, dancing moments and Maradonas I use to paint with my grandfather. And endless hours in which I drew without stopping where you could only hear the brush of the back and

forth of the pencil on the paper. Hence the childish, innocent and playful gesture as in a child’s game. Art Brut is a great reference in my work, practicing the repetitions of shapes freehand. For me fun is essential, that’s why my work radiates joy, in its entirety for me it is a great party and each piece is a way to continue playing.

Currently I divide my work between cultural management, running my own art gallery and the production of my work.

Running a gallery has helped me, as an artist, to understand how the art market is managed, and as a gallerist, to understand the artist’s creation process.

Having a gallery that represents you, I consider it absolutely necessary. A gallerist accompanies you, is your ally, your guide, motivates you and pushes you to improve and work every day. Marketing itself is never the best ally.”

RESIDENCIES & INTERNSHIPS

2014 – 2016 Internships with La Fresh & Bacelos Gallery Madrid, Pivo de San Pablo Museum, USA and Houston Museum, USA.

2018 Artist residency at Art House of Holland, Leiden Holland, Netherlands.

EXHIBITIONS

2014 – 2016 Arte BA Art Fair, Buenos Aires, Argentina

2014 – 2016 Arco Art Fair, Madrid, Spain

2017 Swab Art Fair, Barcelona, Spain

2017 AC Curadores (Contemporary artistic platforms) Gachi Prieto Gallery, Buenos Aires, Argentina