Jorge Blanco (American born in Venezuela 1945) is an international artist who has created a distinctive sculptural language throughout his career. His art values a positive lifestyle, creating soaring testaments to the optimism of everyday life. Jorge Blanco’s trademark subject is an abstracted figure that is at once recognizable and joyful. His numerous large format public art sculptures may be seen across the globe. In addition to public art, Blanco continues his life trajectory by making collectible sculptures.

Jorge has lived and worked in Sarasota, Florida since 1999 and has won many public art commissions in different cities in his adopted country. He has also created numerous works for private collectors in the United States and in different parts of the world.

With a degree (1971) in industrial design from the prestigious Neumann Institute of Design in Caracas, Venezuela, he learned to integrate industrial design with creative processes under the mentorship of instructors who were predominately artists. After graduation Blanco started his career as a sculptor, freelance graphic designer, and furniture designer.

Jorge also studied at Rome’s Academy of Fine Arts. During his stay in Europe, he discovered the world of cartoonists, which led him to create the most iconic comic strip in Venezuela’s history, “El Náufrago” (The Castaway). In 1980 it made its debut in El Diario de Caracas For over thirty years, Jorge Blanco’s heartfelt vignettes offer scenes that celebrate philosophical whimsy and human imagination.

His accomplishments as an illustrator led him to a science, art and technology center, where he served as Creative Director for twenty years. During Blanco’s directorship at the science center, his sculptural work evolved from darker expressions on political ideologies and existentialist absurdity into bright and energetic dialogs supporting newfound values. Love, music, dance, sports and humor motivate Blanco’s widely known oeuvre.

Throughout his career, Jorge Blanco has designed purposefully. His work embraces scale, landscape, urbanism and technology. In a singular fashion, his art, with its striking colors and impressive scale, imbues the surrounding landscape, architecture, and social context with an unforgettable joyful aura.  Look closely at his subtle and distinctly personal visual lexicon and you will spot the influence of Alexander Calder, Paul Klee and Joan Miro among others. Yet there is nothing derivative about his emblematic and geometric abstractions. They are a direct response and addition to each site.

Blanco’s largest body of work has been created and fabricated in the United States. He utilizes the best practices, processes, and fabrication standards for outdoor and smaller scale work and have increasingly high values in auction houses such as Sotheby’s, Christie’s & Phillips.

ART IN PUBLIC SPACES

• "See Red Run" 2017-2019 / Site-specific commission, City of Roeland Park, Kansas, USA

• "Bravo!" 2016-2018 / Site-specific commission, City of Sarasota, Florida, USA

• “Home Run” 2017 / Site-specific commission City of Carmel, Indiana USA

• “Kick!” 2017 / Site-specific commission City of Carmel, Indiana USA

• “On Wheels” 2017 / Site-specific commission City of Carmel, Indiana USA

• “Go Bongo Blue” 2017 / Site-specific commission "Citi Tower", Orlando, Florida USA

• “Go Bongo” 2014 / Site-specific commission for Ghent Station, Norfolk, Virginia, USA

• “Thinker & Bird” 2014 / Site-specific commission for University Hospitals, Cleveland, Ohio, USA

• “Swimming in Jupiter” 2014 / Site-specific commission, Jupiter, Florida, USA

• “Air” 2012 / Site-specific commission for the PCMARC. Park City, Utah, USA

• “Breakaway” 2011 / Small-scale-site-specific, Renown Health Center. Reno, Nevada, USA

• “Yellow Thinker” 2011 / Small-scale-site-specific, Renown Health Center. Reno, Nevada, USA

• “El Camarada” 2010 / Site-specific commission- José Ignacio, Punta del Este, Uruguay

• “Freeriding” 2009 / Jack Harris Park, North Central College. Petosky, Michigan, USA

• “Dynamics” 2009 / Site-specific commission, City of Fort Pierce. Florida, USA

• “For The Goal” 2008 / Site-specific commission, City of Leawood Park. Kansas, USA

• “Red Run Red” 2008 / Site-specific commission, City of Leawood Park. Kansas, USA

• “Andalucia” 2008 / Site-specific commission, Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, USA

• “Alfresco”  2006 / University Ridge Park. City of Reno, Nevada, USA

• “In The Swim” 2005 / Marina Plaza, City of Fort Pierce. Florida, USA

• “To Be Red” 2004 / Longboat Key Center for the Arts. Sarasota, Florida, USA

• “Pleasant Tree”  2003 / City of Chula Vista Public Library. California, USA

• “Phoenix” 2002 / Anderson Administration Building, City of Venice. Florida, USA

• “Cartwheel” 2002 / Public Arts in the Public Schools. Sarasota, Florida, USA -

• “The Runners” 2001 / Awarded by the City of Sarasota, Florida, USA

• “Smile”  2000 / Boulevard of the Arts. Sarasota. Florida, USA

• “Maratón” 1997 /  Caracas, Venezuela

• “Welcome” 1997 / Nagayama Plaza. Tokyo, Japan

• “Yellow Man” 1997 / Nagayama Plaza. Tokyo, Japan

• “Violet Man” 1997 / Nagayama Plaza. Tokyo, Japan

• “Sun Smile” 1996 / Awarded by Project SMILE. Azabu Juban, Minato Ku, Tokyo, Japan

• “Sun, Blue & Red 1993 / Caracas, Venezuela

EXHIBITIONS

2019

"Shopliftable," Group exhibit, Gaze Modern, Sarasota, Florida, USA

2018

"Solo Blanco," solo-exhibit, Alfstad& Contemporary, Sarasota, Florida, USA

"CG -Art", Back to Beautiful Celebration, O. Ascanio Gallery, Coral Gables, Florida, USA

"Art Boca Raton," Lurie Fine Arts, Boca Raton, Florida, USA

"Palm Beach Modern + Contemporary," Palm Beach, Florida, USA

"Aqua," Alfstad& Contemporary Miami, Florida, USA

2017

"Connecting Vanguards" Espace Expression, O. Ascanio Gallery, Miami, Florida, USA

"Living with Art," O. Ascanio Gallery, Vitri Building, Miami, FL USA

"Peaceful Resonance for Venezuelan Children"  O. Ascanio Gallery, Miami, Florida, USA

“Art Palm Beach,” O. Ascanio Gallery, Palm Beach, Florida, USA

“LA Art Show,” Modern & Contemporary, O. Ascanio Gallery, Los Angeles, California, USA

2016

“Pinta Art Fair,” O. Ascanio Gallery, Miami, Florida, USA

“LA Art Show,” Modern & Contemporary, Los Angeles, California, USA

"Jorge Blanco-Solo Space," O. Ascanio Gallery, Miami, Florida, USA

"Small and Big," Allyn Gallup Contemporary Art, Sarasota, Florida, USA

2015

“The Joy of Living” O. Ascanio Gallery, Miami, Florida, USA

“Pinta Art Fair,” O. Ascanio Gallery, Miami, Florida, USA

"The Lightness of Being: Abstracts: Part 1," Allyn Gallup Contemporary Art, Sarasota, Florida, USA

“Fluid Formalism: Concepts in Motion,” O. Ascanio Gallery, Miami, Florida, USA

"Contemporary Expressions" & "Recent Sculptures by Jorge Blanco,” O. Ascanio Gallery,  Miami, FL, USA

2014

“The Joy of Living” O. Ascanio Gallery, Miami, Florida, USA

“Made in Sarasota," Allyn Gallup Contemporary Art, Sarasota, Florida, USA

“Pinta Art Fair,” O. Ascanio Gallery, Miami, Florida, USA

2013

“Black, White & Red,” Sculpturesite, Sonoma, California, USA

2012

“Aesthetic Perfection,” O. Ascanio Gallery, Miami, Florida, USA

“Art Nocturne” Sculpture. Knokke-Heist, Belgium

“Scope Miami,” Miami, Florida, USA

“Florida Outdoor Sculpture Competition,” Polk Museum of Art  + City of Winter Haven, FL USA

2011

“Burst Art Fair,” Miami, Florida, USA

“Public Art Exhibition,” Coastal Discovery Museum. Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, USA

2010

“De Punta en Blanco” Sculpture. Espacio Tierra Negra Gallery. José Ignacio, Uruguay

“WOW 3,” Large-scale Sculpture Exhibition. Fort Pierce, Florida, USA

2009

“New Sculptures” One-man exhibition. HW Gallery. Naples, Florida, USA

2008

“Cedarhurst Biennale,” Cedarhurst Center for the Arts. Mt. Vernon, Illinois, USA

“Third Beijing International Art Biennale,” National Art Museum of China, Beijing, China

“WOW 2,” Large-scale Sculpture Exhibition. Fort Pierce, Florida, USA

“Where the Wild Things (still) Are,” The Art Gallery at Florida Gulf Coast University. Fort Myers, FL, USA

2007

“Sarasota Season of Sculpture 4,” Large-scale Suclpture Exhibition. Sarasota, Florida, USA

“Sculpture in the Plaza” Sculpturesite Gallery.  San Francisco, California, USA

2006

“Figuratively Speaking Exhibition,” Large-scale sculpture. Stamford, Connecticut, USA

“Primary Colors,” Sculpturesite Gallery. San Francisco, California, USA

“Sarasota Season of Sculpture Exhibition,” Sarasota, Florida, USA

2005

“Grand Opening Exhibition,” Sculpturesite Gallery. San Francisco, California, USA

“New Works,” A New Leaf Gallery-Sculpture Site. Berkeley, California, USA

2004

“Sculpture,” Fenn Gallery. Woodbury, Connecticut, USA

“Sculpture,” A New Leaf Gallery. Berkeley, California, USA

“ArteAmericas,” Miami, Florida, USA

“Urban Trees,” Port of San Diego. California, USA

“Sarasota Season of Sculpture,” Sarasota, Florida, USA

2003

"Sarasota Season of Sculpture," The Bayfront Exhibition, Sarasota, Florida, USA

“Hispanic Artists,” City of Aventura Government Building. Aventura, Florida, USA

“Sculpture,” Katherine Butler Gallery. Sarasota, Florida, USA

2002

"Sarasota Season of Sculpture," The Bayfront Exhibition, Sarasota, Florida, USA

2001

“Pier Walk Exhibition,” Navy Pier. Chicago, Illinois, USA

2000

"Sarasota Season of Sculpture," Inaugural Biannual Exhibition, Sarasota, Florida, USA

1999

"Sarasota Season of Sculpture, Preview," Maquettes, Selby Public Library, Sarasota, Florida, USA

"Sarasota Season of Sculpture, Preview," Large-scale Sculpture "Positively Red", Selby Public Library, Sarasota, Florida, USA

“Biennale Internazionale dell’Arte Contemporanea,” Florence, Italy

1997

“Fast Life Metallics,” Sculptures & Serigraphs, Icono Gallery, Caracas, Venezuela

“A Ton of Art,” Sculptures, Britto Central, Miami Beach, Florida, USA

1995

“Iron Humor,” Sculptures, EuroAmerican Art Center, Caracas, Venezuela

1992

“Faces and a Watermelon,” Sculptures, Oscar Ascanio Gallery, Caracas, Venezuela

1979

“Esculturas y Dibujos” Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Caracas. Caracas, Venezuela

"XVII International Salon of Drawing Joan Miro," Barcelona, Spain

1978

“Scultura e Disegni” Istituto Italo-Latino Americano. Roma, Italy

1976

“Disegni” Paesi Nuovi Gallery. Roma, Italy

1974

“XXXII Salon Arturo Michelena,” Ateneo de Valencia, Venezuela

SELECTED AWARDS & HONORS

2013

DCOTA Stars of Design Award

2008

Selected to represent the US. Third Beijing Art Biennale. Beijing, China

2007

John Ringling Towers Fund, Individual Artist Award. Sarasota, Florida, USA

1998

Decorated with the Second Class "Order Andres Bello," for renown artists by the  President of  Venezuela

1993

Decorated with the First Class "Order Francisco Fajardo," for renowned Artists, by the  Government of the City of Caracas, Venezuela

1979

University of Carabobo Award, XXXVI Salon Arturo Michelena, Ateneo de Valencia,  Venezuela

1978

Award for Sculpture, Torre D'Ansperto, Milan, Italy

First Award for medium format sculpture, Monterrotondo, Italy

1975

University of Carabobo Award, XXXII Salon Arturo Michelena, Ateneo de Valencia,  Venezuela

ARTWORK
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