[José Cuenca was born in 1956, in Orléans, France, and raised in Montreal. He began his studies at the l’École des Beaux Arts before taking private lessons with classic painter Javier Moreno Grijalva, head of the art department for Mediacom Co., and studying portraiture at Saidye Bronfman Art Center. He completed his fine arts training at Champlain College.

Mr. Cuenca has been painting professionally since 1990 and has exhibited in several Canadian cities. His work can be found in private and public collections in both Canada and the United States.]

CUENCA: Because I love painting; and people like what I do. I have tried many things in life, including carpentry – working with my hands – but there is nothing I would rather do than paint. I feel very fortunate in that I am able to contribute in this way.

CUENCA: That is true. With the exception of this gallery, most of my experiences have been negative rather than positive. A gallery should encourage a painter to do his best work, to be the best he can be. In the past, most of the galleries have treated my paintings like commodities to be bought and sold. If big and bold colors sells, they would twist my arm until I produced pictures with big and bold colors. Along the way, I lost myself, my direction – and it took a while to get it back, but I am back, and I’m very happy where I am.

CUENCA: For sure I’m trying to capture a particular mood, which is why I like to work with not necessarily dark but dusky, earthy colors, as well as with tonalities instead of loud contrast – but I like strong lines, too. Because I paint instead of write, I might not have described my work as you have formulated it in your question, but there is a significant part of me that is expressed in my canvases. Like most of us, I have known dark periods in my life, and haven’t always been able to answer certain questions about the meaning of my life, of life in general. Perhaps painting allows me to explore these questions further, to feel more comfortable with them; maybe it’s a way of letting in the light.

CUENCA: I had to stop drinking. I couldn’t take it constitutionally. When I first stopped, I thought that something was missing from my painting, that my imagination wasn’t as performative as when I was under the influence, but now I’m not so sure. I am very happy with what I’m doing right now; I’ve made the adjustment and I feel that I am evolving as a painter.

CUENCA: I have tried abstract painting, and I wouldn’t say I’m not friendly to it, at least as a viewer. But as a painter, I don’t find it particularly challenging. In non-representational painting, everything is possible, except making mistakes. Of course balance is very important in abstract. Personally, I enjoy the challenge of trying to capture something, of interpreting it, of having something to say. Abstract art says everything and nothing. There’s too much freedom in it and I guess I’m not ready for that just now. Maybe one day.

All pictures © José Cuenca

José Cuenca's art can be seen at the Galerie Lamoureux Ritzenhoff, located west of the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts. The gallery endeavors to promote the works of emerging, contemporary Canadian artists and sculptors, such as Nguyen Tai, Roberto Rotondo and Louis Hughes. For each work sold, a donation goes to Sun Youth.

Gallery Lamoureux Ritzenhoff is located west of the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts. It endeavors to promote the works of emerging, contemporary Canadian artists and sculptors, such as José Cuenca, Nguyen Tai and Louis Hughes. For each work sold, a donation goes to Sun Youth.

THE END

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