Lot 20: Jorge Blanco (born 1945)

Jorge Blanco (born 1945) Machette sculpture. Height: 15 in. In 1971 Blanco graduated as an industrial designer from the Neumann Institute of Design in Caracas, Venezuela. Under the mentorship of European artists living as expatriates in Caracas, Blanco learned to integrate industrial design with creative processes. His instructors were predominately artists, such as Gego and Cornelis Zitman, who emphasized artistry in their classrooms. Blanco graduated with a degree in industrial design upon the completion of his first furniture line for children, a thesis project that foregrounded much of his future artwork. Immediately after graduation Blanco began his career as a sculptor, freelance graphic designer, and furniture designer. In the late 70s he studied at Rome’s Academy of Fine Arts. In 1980 Blanco created a comic strip, The Castaway, whose main character, Castaway, became a popular hallmark, even placed on the city metro system of Caracas. Eight books have been published on Blanco’s The Castaway, which for over thirty years has humored and entertained viewers. Provenance: J. Kaplan Fine Art Sarasota Florida.