Courtesy

NAME: Jerry Cabrera, 30

MEDIUM: Oils on canvas

BEST KNOWN FOR: Finding the beauty that would otherwise be lost in a situation or environment, then stripping it down to its essence.

For his 2007 exhibit “Cape,” Cabrera wanted to explore the beauty of bullfighting without glorifying its brutality. So he painted the matadors’ capes gliding through the air, excluding the matadors themselves.

“It’s so easy for the grace of the cape, for all these instances of beauty that are presences in the movement of the cape, to get lost in the spectacle,” he said.

An accompanying series of work, “Verb,” are abstract versions of the cape paintings, focused on movement. Cabrera painted blotches of color that travel across the canvas, representing the movement, gesture and speed of the capes.

Similarly, for a series of paintings of the San Antonio Spurs commissioned by the AT&T Center, Cabrera concentrated on the movement of the player’s jerseys, the ball and the net. He used color to emphasize those elements and painted Manu Ginobili, Tony Parker and Tim Duncan less vividly.

“I’ve created this visual hierarchy where you read the gesture of the fabric and the articulation of the fabric first,” he said.

CURRENTLY: The paintings in “Haven” at Joan Grona Gallery were inspired by Cabrera’s trip to Germany, where he visited the site of a Nazi concentration camp and the Jewish Museum.

He decided to focus on the thin strips of light visible from high windows to imprisoned people, emphasizing how light represents hope, life and visual escape. The canvases are long and narrow, depicting the vibrant colors of sunlight.

“It was the only element of warmth and hope in those rooms. It was really powerful,” he said. “I think if we strip things down to their core, they became universal, and if they become universal they become powerful.”

BACKGROUND: Cabrera grew up in Laredo and received his BFA from Texas State University and his MFA from UTSA.

PAYING THE BILLS: He teaches painting and drawing at UTSA.

CHECK HIM OUT: “Haven” can be seen through June 21 at Joan Grona Gallery in the Blue Stars Arts Complex. Call (210) 225-6334 or visit joangronagallery.com.

Jessica Belasco | 210SA contributor