Rosarito Beach, Baja Mexico is not the same party destination it used to be back in the 1970’s and 80’s. Yes, there are still plenty of bars and nightclubs, but there has been an awakening in this small and ever-changing city, one towards cultural awareness and growth.
Local artist, Jaime Carbo, has played a part and is currently working on that growth within the locale of Rosarito Beach. His murals and work are displayed on walls and in galleries throughout the city, locally, as well as around the world. His wonderful take on Post-Pop Modernism with respect to his own cultural identity and growth is reflected in incredible works that infuse color, ethnicity, technology and personal experience onto canvas.
We were lucky enough to sit down with Jaime at his home in Rosarito to ask him a few questions about his work, his city and his local…
Us: Tell us a little about you and your work…
Jaime: My work reflects what I read, what I see, what’s happening in my world and the world around me. It’s about technology, Mexican culture and the influence of American Pop, among other things. Its one part hard edge, solid color and ancient influence.
Us: What’s your inspiration for your current work?
Jaime: That would be the Pixel Series…video games like Atari and Nintendo were the start of the inspiration. Nowadays, we are all looking at computer screens all day, most of the day. We see pixels, little squares all day, that’s pretty much how we all look at the world without realizing it. My work is a reflection of how we look at the world, not necessarily a critique on it, but more about the basic composition and how we view things. I thought it was important to do something with this element, the pixel. It’s a more modern way to see the world that we don’t really think about.
There’s also the big influence of Aztec culture and Mexican art in these works, which actually had a variety and form of pixels, many small squares can be seen in the ancient work they created… this element is also found in other early ancient Mexican art from various parts of the country. Even my mother saw the similarity between the pixel in my work and art from Oaxaca tapestries.
The power and basic nature of this element, the pixel, adds power to the piece. Somewhat low-res, a little 8-bit, but technically powerful.
Us: Your favorite local thing to do?
Jaime: Well, my basic day is to paint at home, grab my longboard and skate down the road to grab a coffee. In the evenings, I like to jam with my friends. I really love to play music and hang out with friends. Just chill out, smoke a little something, drink a little and hang out…
For more information or to purchase, contact Jaime here on his site: jaimecarbo.com animaxtli@gmail.com
LOCAL | yetnot 