Munoz, Josefina

2100 Smallman St. Pittsburgh, PA 15222 | 412.261.7003 | www.contemporarycraft.org

Josefina Muñoz Torres

The active urban growth of the impetuous contemporary city serves for me as an endless source of inspiration. I define myself as an observer and constantly examine demographics; space distribution; decaying structures and glossy buildings (and their coexistence); vehicular, human

and architectural saturation; construction sites; demolitions; vacant slots; and other urban issues. Many of which tend to arise through my pieces as a result of an acute inspection of my surroundings. A house is built because there is need for shelter, a cathedral is raised up because a God has to be praised… I see architecture as a vivid resonance of a specific cultural context and study through my work diverse constructions that nowadays stand as trace remains of forgotten empires.

I develop my visual studies through the usage of digital imagery taken from real visited locations, from unseen cities, and from imaginary places. I paint on glass-canvases fictitious sceneries obtained from the juxtaposition of these images and then expose the glass to diverse caloric

treatments. With this I create a new approximation towards the studied structures where the former richness of the old constructions acquires a new pictoric connotation and an ageless but undeniable fragile brilliance of its own. Technically, my practice arises from a clear fascination for the materiality of glass, element that has been the base of my work for several years; my pieces have to be physically touched and

examined. Nevertheless, the topics I encompass throughout my work turn the material into a starting point that, in conjunction with other factors, delves into diverse semantic issues.

To see Josefina’s resume, click here.