The Spanish-born artist with a Columbian heritage has explored his artistic side through the use of numerous forms of media. His passion for storytelling has been manifested in photography, documentary filmmaking, and oils on different surfaces. Through the use of texture and color, he can portray the complexity of human nature and his personal experiences of everyday life.
What inspires the artist?
His inspiration comes predominantly from traveling, and his art is not only his work or his hobby, it is his life. He finds immense pleasure in talking and learning about art, and has been involved in artistic activities for most of his life. However, his career really started when he worked as a fashion and portrait photographer and his love for photographs endures and he often incorporates it into his artistic works. As a photographer he has worked with celebrities such as Steffi Graf, and his love of the form has remained consistent.
‘Soulfulness’ in Astor’s art
“Art speaks to the soul to bring enlightenment and wholeness,” believes Astor and his current projects integrate the way he views the world – in colors and textures.
Even as he prefers using oils, he alternates between various surfaces of work. At times he uses traditional primed canvases, at others a photograph, and he also makes use of the durability of paper. In order to produce multiplex works of art with exceptional visual depth, he works on layering and using rich colors.
His latest work is a reflection of the turbulent times the world is going through together. No-one has escaped its effects, and it has had a significant impact on the artist’s consciousness of those who surround him and also the circumstances humanity finds itself in. As such, his latest collection titled “The Unmasking” is a reflection of his new understanding of the world and how we fit into it. Such works include “Alice” (oil on unprimed linen) and “Black Queen” (oil on unprimed linen).
The pandemic has had an immense effect on society at large – in both the very best and worst ways. The world has changed, and Astor has been watching. There has been an abundance of feelings and voices, but what is clear is that ‘everything happens for a reason.’ This is a time to create a distance between ourselves and what doesn’t work for us, and focus on novel circumstances that have the potential to open our minds.
Recent and upcoming projects to look out for
Astor’s work has been an integral part of many exhibitions all around the world including countries like the United States, England, and Germany. His works of art have been displayed at Trinity House Paintings in London.
As testament to his proficiency in numerous media forms, he has been the recipient of the highest TV award in Germany called “Deutscher Fernsehpreis” for a documentary on the atomic bomb.
In order to share his experience as an artist with others and as a natural progression of his love of talking and learning about art, he founded the BLINK Art Group. This online platform serves as a place of assembly for artists, art collectors, and anyone who loves art as much as he does. The group has become a space where contemporary artists such as Verena Schöttmer, Armin Völckers, Daniel Hörner, Jelle Wagenaar, Max Dunlop, and Astor himself have been able to present their work to the world online.
He is also the co-founder of the Yacht Art Management with Tilman Kriesel whose family founded the Sprengel Museum in Hannover; it is Germany’s No. 1 museum. The company takes care of high-end art on Mega Yachts – an endeavor inspired by his fianceé’s position as an interior designer for Mega Yachts. He is familiar with premium brands and luxury and so he has become known as an expert in this field.
Final take
This artist has not confined himself to one form, and as vast as the human experience is, so too is his desire to explore it in as many unique ways as possible. His personal website is a reflection of the multiplicity of his skill, and through the BLINK Art Group, he shares this experience with others.
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