Luis Moscoso
Luis Francisco Moscoso Gallardo was born on April 30, 1963, in Piñas, Ecuador. From a very young age he was deeply immersed in the world of art. Moscoso attended the State University of Guayaquil, initially enrolling in Architecture, however, by his third year he realized that his true passion lay in art prompting him to leave architecture and dedicate himself fully to creating artistic pieces. His exhibitions were met with great success and his techniques evolved more freely over time.
A self-taught artist, Moscoso has participated in over 70 individual and collective exhibitions, sharing his work alongside renowned artists both nationally and internationally. His creativity has been unwavering, continually pushing the boundaries of his artistic expression.
His work is a syncretism encompassing various techniques and themes, which somehow unite and fuse to reconcile time and doctrine, granting us the most harmonious yet overwhelmingly creative force capable of moving us, touching us, and placing us precisely where the work intends. The painter tells us: "I propose new challenges, and painting is a spiritual release; creating for me is living. My art is timeless; it has no space or time." Thus, his work breathes artistic concepts that lead us to see and enter an original and unrepeatable world, filled with images constantly oscillating between surreal and real elements. In this way, Luis Moscoso speaks of this universe becoming conceptually syncretic: "My tendencies are more contemporary from a technical, creative and expressive point of view."
Early Years: 1963 -1980
Luis Moscoso was born on April 30, 1963, in Piñas, a town located in the province of El Oro, Ecuador. His early education began at the "San José" school in his hometown. He completed his secondary education up to the fourth year at the "8 de Noviembre" high school in Piñas before moving to the city of Machala, where he completed his fifth and sixth years at the "9 de Octubre" high school after establishing residence there.
Following his high school graduation, Moscoso relocated to Guayaquil, where he pursued studies in architecture, completing up to the third year.
From an early age, Moscoso's talent in drawing and painting was evident. As early as first grade, he distinguished himself in these arts, contributing to a mural newspaper and preserving his initial artistic endeavors. By the age of six, he became interested in the plastic arts and began to capture his most intimate memories on canvas.
He is self-taught, drawing inspiration from the works of great masters such as Raphael, Michelangelo, Leonardo Da Vinci, Dalí, Tàpies and of course, Pablo Picasso, probably his greatest inspiration and the artist who had the most influence on moscoso's work. At the age of eleven he presents us his first works of art, some of them are still preserved in his private collection, which included works such as a portrait of "The Sacred Heart of Jesus", "A seascape", "Two lovers" and "Marine series".
During his high school years, Moscoso's interest in mastering various painting techniques deepened. He became an avid student of the different movements and styles of the great painters and masters throughout art history. His explorations led him to experiment with pencil, pen, charcoal, pastel chalk, watercolor, and oil paints, all while being largely self-taught.
His iconic style:1981 - 2000's
Luis Moscoso having mastered different techniques and styles he embarks on a journey to find a style that distinguishes him from others but it is in the early nineties where he finally finds his distinctive stamp that later will mark the bases of his creative work, giving us iconic and inspiring works where dreamlike and surreal elements combine human nature in its purest state with the animal and the vegetable.
In his article entitled “Luis Moscoso, an insistent creator”, Voltaire Medina Orellana writes:
❝Yesterday were the beginnings with a freshness of tones parallel to the shyness of the initial poetry, today, a worldview that brings thickness to the rubrics giving life to his pictorial language. There are no circumlocutions, no search for shortcuts. It is the affirmation of constancy, the figure of culture in the right position.❞
This analysis captures the essence of Luis Moscoso’s artistic evolution, who, throughout his career, has demonstrated exemplary perseverance in the quest and consolidation of his unique style. The constancy in his work not only underscores his dedication but also defines a distinctive character that makes his pieces immediately recognizable.
Moscoso's works reveal certain characteristic elements that contribute to his visual identity: the free and expressive strokes in the women's hair, the harmonious integration of nature with the human and animal realms, blending and intertwining into a single entity, and the prominent noses on the female faces. These details, along with the exploration of space and quantum mechanics, create an unmistakable visual narrative. Each element not only reflects the artist's personal worldview, but also guides the viewer through an uncertain labyrinth that is his own mind, offering an experience that is unmistakably Moscoso, everything, everywhere all at once shouts Moscoso-endlessly Moscoso.
Quantum Space: 2001 - 2010's
As we delve further into the 2000s, we encounter a break point in Moscoso's career, marked by a profound spiritual awakening. This period marked a significant transformation in his work, culminating in the creation of his signature series, the “Quantum Space Series”. This period was characterized by an intensified connection with God, the universe and life that profoundly influenced his artistic vision and production.
The “Quantum Space Series” is not merely an artistic endeavor; it is an exploration of existence itself and an ovation to freedom. Luis Moscoso tries to portray the universe as a tangled sea where shapes lengthen and deform trying to capture those brief and at the same time infinite flashes of matter over the walls of time, where everything happens and where everything for an instant is possible.
This series stands as a monumental achievement in Moscoso's career, embodying his unique vision and artistic mastery. It represents a culmination of his lifelong exploration of the interplay between the human experience and the universal forces that shape our reality. The "Quantum Space Series" is a testament to Moscoso's ability to transcend the ordinary and capture the extraordinary, offering a window into a world where the boundaries of time and space blur, and the infinite possibilities of the universe unfold before our eyes.
❝There is not a single painting by Luis Moscoso that leaves us without feeling, without provoking a unique and personal sensation between the painting and the spectator.❞
"Luis Moscoso and the Spectator" - Isis Fiorella Córdoba
2020's
Luis Moscoso's artistic journey continues to evolve, In this era, his creations have become increasingly tactile, with Moscoso masterfully reviving and reinterpreting elements from his past works and bringing them back to life. These elements are now presented in a much more pronounced and abrupt manner, often bordering on the playful and ironic as he mocks their obviousness and what they have represented over the years.
This period signifies a mature phase in Moscoso's career. Now at 61 years old, he resides in New Jersey, United States, where he maintains his home-studio and continues to create. Reflecting on this stage of his life, Moscoso states, "I am at a point in my life where many would think I am nearing retirement, but on the contrary, I feel younger and more alive than ever. Art has been the cornerstone of my life, and it is art that I sweat and breathe every day. I keep creating works, and even I still do not know the limits of my creativity and what I have to offer to the world."
By recontextualizing elements from his earlier pieces, he breathes new life into them, imbuing them with contemporary relevance and meaning.
As Moscoso stands on the precipice of new artistic heights, his journey is far from over. With each brushstroke, he defies expectations and pushes boundaries, proving that his well of creativity is both deep and boundless.
"The art I create today is a testament to my lifelong exploration and the countless stories still waiting to be told," he says. "This is just the beginning."
By Silvio Moscoso
