The Nudes The chiaroscuro nudes are at the soul of Tico Torres' art ......he approaches each nude from a distinctive point of view; some are classic, timeless narratives, others are sensually stirring works and yet some are so raw and primal they move us to our core. In Tico's hands, the fleeting, imperfect, and fragile condition of nakedness gains a noble immortality and a level of perfection that transcends its mere physicality. In his latest nudes, Tico strives to depict the inner peace he has achieved of late. Many of his major paintings are inspired by the two most important women in his life, his mother and grandmother. One extremely important nude is a piece called "Dora" based on Nicoletta Braschi's character in the film Life Is Beautiful.
Characters & Icons Tico is an incredibly versatile painter; his styles change and evolve as his life experience grow. He absorbs every person, place and experience in his amazing life's journey and then brings these characters and surroundings alive on his canvases; complete with all the nuance and emotion that inspired him to paint them in the first place. We experience Tico's world and journey through his unique visual dialog, sometimes playful and whimsical and sometimes fragile and sensitive and sometimes profound and moving. Whether he is painting one of his quirky characters, an iconic question mark or a historical or cultural figure; Tico infuses his subjects with a humanity and vulnerability unlike any other contemporary artist. Angst & Ecstasy Tico's sometimes draws us into the deepest caverns of our souls; his works inspires some of our most intense memories and emotions many of which are beautifully painful. He blurs the line between ecstasy and anguish to reveal images that exist on the edge of the human condition and the truth that only those images can reveal. Critics maintain that his intense style and raw emotion are reminiscent of the German Expressionist styles of Bacon and Munch. At the same time, Tico’s manages to accomplish all of this is a very unique painterly style; imbuing his canvasses with rich color, surface texture and sublime composition. MY CUBA (Tico Mural) Quote by Tico: "My Cuba, was created for my family and those that lost their homes and were separated from friends and family. The Ideals in the beginning were welcomed with the open arms along with Che's thoughts for change, but that soon evaporated. The wall represents the deterioration of time without country. With the hopes and desires of the Cuban Ideal in its painful graffiti.... "HOPE" Selected Tico Torres Exhibitions include: New York, NY: Ambassador Galleries, April 1995 and June 1996 Cleveland, OH: Art Avenue Galleries, January 20, 1996 Henderson, NV: Art Avenue Galleries, March 1996 Palm Beach, FL: Miami City Ballet Artist's Circle, March 1997 Palm Beach, FL: Frankel Galleries, July 1997 Palm Beach, FL: Art de Tico, February 1998 Washington D.C: Presentation of Art to Steven Spielberg - Holocaust Museum, March 1998 South Hampton, NY: Salvo Fine Art, July 1998 London, UK: Benihana Private Exhibition, July 1998 Germany: Jonathan Poole Gallery, July 1998 Ft. Collins, CO: Walnut Street Galleries, August 1998 New York, NY: Tennis Week Magazine, US Open, September 1998 Newport, RI: Permanent Display, International Tennis Hall of Fame, December 1998 Tokyo, Japan: Starbright Foundation, Asian Traveling Exhibition, January 1999 Aspen, CO: Loeb / Robbins Gallery, March 1999 Coral Gables, FL: Hispanic Museum of Art, December 1999 Southfield, MI: The Art of Rock n Rolling, Park West Gallery, June 2004 Ft Collins, CO: Walnut Street Galleries, March 2008 Selected Collectors include: Michael Douglas Valeria Mazza Cristina Saralegui Justine Bateman Celia Lipton Farris Jon Bon Jovi Richie Sambora Heather Locklear Bono Greg Norman Billy Jean King Ernie Els Nick Faldo Johan Kriek Henri Leconte Peter Lindbergh Yannick Noah Arnold Palmer Kathy Rinaldi Wendy Turnbull Guillermo Vilas Vanessa Williams Donald Trump Ron Perlman Naomi Campbell Donatella Versace John Hess Rocky Aoki The Estate of Anthony Quinn Claudia Schiffer Bruce Springsteen Nick Price Gary Player Mikael Pernfors Gene Mayer Martina Navratilova Chris Evert Seve Ballesteros Steven Van Zandt |