Juan Carlos Noria

**En castellano
Juan Carlos Noria

Culturas y contradicciones confluyen en Juan Carlos, una bocanada de
aire fresco de las artes visuales de Ottawa (Canadá) desde 1983.

Quizá por haber nacido en Caracas (Venezuela) tiene la sensibilidad a
flor de piel. Llegó a Canadá de niño y ya de adolescente llegó a ser
un patinador sobre hielo muy hábil. Desde entonces, la gracia y las
líneas se convirtieron en su obsesión. También las ideas sobre la
subversión…

Abandonó el mundo del patinaje sobre hielo cuando empezó a chocar con
la rigidez del deporte de élite y halló consuelo (y desconsuelo) en
las artes visuales, alegrando las calles a base de aerosoles, creando
carteles y escapando de la policía con su skateborard.

De repente, el destino le ofreció una oportunidad extraña: una gira
mundial con Disney patinando sobre hielo. Esta novedad le hizo
especialmente sensible a lo absurdo, confundió el foso que separa la
risa de la rabia y afiló su conscienc... read all

**En castellano
 Juan Carlos Noria

Culturas y contradicciones confluyen en Juan Carlos, una bocanada de
aire fresco de las artes visuales de Ottawa (Canadá) desde 1983.

Quizá por haber nacido en Caracas (Venezuela) tiene la sensibilidad a
flor de piel. Llegó a Canadá de niño y ya de adolescente llegó a ser
un patinador sobre hielo muy hábil. Desde entonces, la gracia y las
líneas se convirtieron en su obsesión. También las ideas sobre la
subversión…

Abandonó el mundo del patinaje sobre hielo cuando empezó a chocar con
la rigidez del deporte de élite y halló consuelo (y desconsuelo) en
las artes visuales, alegrando las calles a base de aerosoles, creando
carteles y escapando de la policía con su skateborard.

De repente, el destino le ofreció una oportunidad extraña: una gira
mundial con Disney patinando sobre hielo. Esta novedad le hizo
especialmente sensible a lo absurdo, confundió el foso que separa la
risa de la rabia y afiló su consciencia visual.

Fiel a su naturaleza subversiva, distorsiona su propia personalidad
para desdoblarse en dos artistas que explorar estilos distintos. Aun
así es singular y fiel a sí mismo. Poco tiene de pretencioso y se
entrega con el alma a los demás. De risa fácil y rápido en plasmar
creaciones gestadas en su cabeza.

**English
Juan Carlos Noria

A confluence of cultures and contradictions, Juan Carlos Noria is a
painter for our times. Born in Caracas, Venezuela he carries his Latin
American sensibility on his sleeve. As a teen growing up in Ottawa,
Canada, he became an accomplished figure skater. Grace and lines were
an obsession. So, too were his ideas of subversion. He fell out of
skating after hitting the rigid class structure of the sport, finding
comfort (and discomfort) in visual art, on the streets with a paint
can, postering, skateboarding, fleeing police. A strange opportunity
then came. A world tour with Disney on Ice. It heightened his sense of
absurdity, humour and anger, sharpened his visual and social
awareness. Arriving back in Ottawa, he hung up the skates and his
career took flight with live painting performances. So proficient from
his days of graffiti, he quickly earned a reputation for highly
resolved canvases produced in front of appreciative crowds. Through
these events in various venues, Juan Carlos also ensured a showcase
for other young Ottawa artists, raising the bar and pushing them to
achieve with him. It was 2001-2002.

Meanwhile, the tide of CNNesque culture rose in North America. Juan,
always with an eye on pop culture and current events, found himself
painting with increasing anger. He needed to change the channel. In
November 2004, he moved to Barcelona, Spain to find tranquilo, a new
view of the world and new audiences. Since his move, he has evolved,
focused and become more prolific, with exhibits in Spain, the United
States and Canada.

True to subversive nature, he undercuts his own personality allowing
himself to explore two other personas and visual styles. He sometimes
works under the pseudonyms of royal or dixon. He has been infuenced by his
contemporaries Mark Marsters, Pat Thompson and Dave Cooper. Yet, he is
himself-singular Juan. He is without pretense, full of concern for
others, quick to laugh and quicker to paint something ripe

Select Group Exhibitions:
- "Inoxidable Neopop", Iguapop Gallery, Barcelona, january 2007;
- "EnRiosTurbulentos", Distrit Quinto, Barcelona, november 2006;
- "Street Camp", Yves Laroche L'autre Gallery,
 Montreal, Que., June 2006;
-  WAR CHILD and ARABESQUE, "FREEDOM FIGHTERS", El Mocambo, Toronto, May 2006;
- "Hinterland Who's Who",
  Fifty24SF Gallery, San Francisco, USA, 2005;
- "Metal Pig", Orchard Street Gallery, New York,USA, 2005;
- "Contrapeso", ADN Galleria, Barcelona, Spain, March 2005;
- "Opposition Party," SAW Gallery, Ottawa, On. June 2004;
- "Hype 3," Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto, On. Sept 2002;
- "Beatz and Piecez," 3 Shows, 2002-2003;
- "H.Y.P.E. 2," A.G.O. Toronto, On. Feb. 2002;
- "Visual Funk," Toronto, On. May 2002;
- "Dropping Bombs," Gallery 101, Ottawa, On.  Aug. 2001.
- "Long and Skinny" Show, Mercury Lounge, Ottawa, On. 1999.

Collaborations:
- "Juno Awards," Live Art, Ottawa, April 2003;
- "Camarillo Brillo" Organizing and painting in weekly art
performances, Ottawa, 2003;
- "Grand Master Flash" Barrymore's Music Hall, Ottawa,  June 2002;
- "Heavy Weight, Barnstormers & 15lbs" Montreal, Dec. 2001;
- "Infinite Compact Sound System" Monthly art performances with DJ Duo.

Community Projects:
- "1st Annual Graffiti Festival," Organizer, Ottawa, Sept.2002;
- "Canadian Aids Society Mural," Painted and Coordinated, Ottawa, Aug. 2002;
- "Synchronicity," McNabb Skate Board Park, Coordinated Live Art, Ottawa, 2002;
- "Special Needs Initiative Programs," Coordinated and painted, 2001.

Other Exhibitions:
- "UneIdéeParJour", Candela Raval, Barcelona, Spain 2006
-"Galerie La Petite Mort Gallery" Ottawa, On. May 2006;
- "Art Guise",You Are Being Lied To, Ottawa, On. 2005;
- "Savacou Gallery", New York, Usa, 2004;
- "Art Guise", Ottawa, On. 2004;
- "Le Petit Bouchon", Paris, France, 2003
- "The Victoria", London, England,  2003;
- "Next Space", Kansas City, USA, 2003;
- "Delphic", Toronto, Canada,  2002;
- "Wurm Gallery", Ottawa, Canada 2002.