José Santos III

Working across media, José Santos III confronts the many potential permutations of objects and images, especially those not immediately apparent. In his early work, the artist manipulated oil paints into trompe l’oeil collages, often including objects and figures that seemed to have a Western origin. Turning away from what he has called the “convincing veneer of naturalism,” he has broadened his practice to include assemblage, collage, installation, and photography, re-creating common objects. “Through representation and re-presentation, a heightened awareness of everyday objects is experienced, illuminating how our perception of these objects is colored by the value (or lack thereof) we imbue them with,” he has said. His work thus demands that viewers account for the formal and logical reasons that underpin objects that pervade all aspects of life, especially the most perfunctory ones.