Artist Gets Away From Image.

Why It Matters

The pivot from image to material signals a meaningful evolution in creative strategy that could redefine the artist’s visual language and market positioning, attracting collectors and critics interested in process-driven work. It highlights broader trends in contemporary art where material exploration and concept over fixed imagery shape artistic value and discourse.

Summary

In a reflective video, an artist describes shifting away from image-driven work toward material-focused practice, inspired by memories of their mother and prayer. They explain embracing repetitive, tactile techniques—specifically an acrylic mosaic approach—that guide composition organically as layers accumulate. The artist frames materiality as a tool to free themselves from representational constraints and to explore unexpected outcomes. Though experimental and uncertain, this new direction marks a deliberate move from communicating clear messages to discovering what else the work can reveal.

Original Description

After his first solo show in NYC, José de Jesús Rodríguez shifted his focus toward a slower, more tactile method of production using acrylic mosaic.

Watch the full film for free on YouTube.