Cover Image: José Bacarreza, the artist embarking on a Goldfields Arts Centre residency in Kalgoorlie.

Internationally recognised Chilean artist José Bacarreza has been in Kalgoorlie-Boulder, WA, for the past five weeks as part of the Goldfields Arts Centre’s (GAC) Artist in Residence Program. This is part of a three-year initiative by the City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder that offers both visiting and local artists the opportunity to work from the venue and facilitate a series of workshops, artist talks, and community engagements while creating two new artworks.

Currently based in Perth, José’s art journey has taken him across the globe, including travels through South America, Europe, New York, and for the moment, Western Australia. His primary practice is large-scale oil works that explore the interplay between human consciousness and the natural world, drawing on influences ranging from Renaissance and Baroque masters to contemporary art, myth and symbolism. A sense of freedom also seems to be a theme in some of Jose’s works as well as holding importance in his life. 

First inspired by his mother’s oils as a young child – she studied as an art teacher – José likens his attraction to the arts as a calling, much like others are called to the priesthood. It was as if there was a big sign that said, “Art this Way”, and he has followed it ever since, earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Chile and travelling the world, going where the opportunities for his art practice take him. 

The artist’s process often includes initial sketches and extensive work using digital programs to help create the complex composition of many of his works and experiment with the elements. José has found this method of exploration saves a lot of time and is more cost-effective than other traditional processes. Many of his paintings use around $2000 -$5000 of oils – the medium is not a cheap one – so once he picks up a brush, he can be confident that all the elements will work how he intends.

José also works from photos and subject models, depending on the type of work he is creating. He also prefers working on larger pieces for the freedom and physicality it offers, and describes painting like a dance with the canvas. The expansive scale also allows him to weave in the many elements that shape his works, each component adding another layer to the story and revealing new depths with every viewing.

“I like to tell stories… I think some of my pieces are very filmic, like little movies. There’s always something more to see, something more to the story you didn’t see the first time. The more you look at the imagery the more of the story you understand… it can be like a visual poem… and different people can get different meanings from different symbolisms.”

The Goldfields residency was one of two José had been considering, and he chose the gold mining town for the chance to experience somewhere new and that the residency’s activities aligned well with his practice. The open studio provided by the GAC offers excellent light and ample space for him to work and display a selection of his mesmerising pieces. Members of the public are welcome to visit and chat with José during opening hours, and several schools have brought whole classes to observe and discuss his process.

As the residency comes to a close it’s natural to question to ask the artist what comes next?

“I’ve enjoyed this time in the Goldfields. The people are very nice. It’s been great. What’s next is up to where my art takes me. It’s my art that is responsible for that… there are some things simmering in the back of my head… maybe travel for another year… New York is calling me a little, maybe Barcelona… I don’t know.”

José also has a new body of work ready for exhibition and is researching suitable options for where and when it will be launched. 

You can see more of José’s works at: 
http://www.josebacarreza.com