On the Cover: S-001-A006 by Yomar Augusto

What inspired S-001 – A006, our cover art?

This is a piece in a series driven by data and based on capturing a specific place, in this case the Azores. The Azores is a Portuguese archipelago of nine islands – each circle represents an island and the colours are based on the Azores flag.

S-001-A006

You’ve also created pieces using your father’s war photographs…

My father was in the Brazilian contingent of the United Nations international emergency force and was stationed in the Gaza Strip in the 1960s where he took a lot of photographs. He died when I was five years old and it’s been amazing to investigate his life through his photography. I’ve taken his shots and added my own elements. It’s been a way to develop a kind of father-son relationship we never had. It’s my life’s project and I feel like I’ve barely started.

Who is your work influenced by?

A lot of famous artists – Peter Beard, Robert Rauschenberg, Burle Marx, Frida Kahlo – but the biggest inspiration in my life is my sister, Rosa Guimaraes. She’s an artbook binder and designer. She’s always been my hero and my guidance.

You’ve lived and worked in four different places – Rio de Janeiro, New York, Rotterdam and San Diego. How do their creative scenes differ?

They’re like four different planets. Rio de Janeiro is an amazing place to be an artist. Although it’s very hard to get materials there, so when you do, you treasure them. Rotterdam was great for inspiration – there are some great museums and artists there. New York was exciting, a wild, raw place. I was there in 2001 and again in 2012. Now I’m in San Diego, California, and I love it. I’ve been painting constantly since I got here – I’ve found it very inspiring.

You were in New York on the day of the September 11th attacks and you’ve said it changed your life…

I was in the subway when the planes hit and when I came up to the streets the world was already upside down. I saw both towers come down in front of me. I thought the world was going to end. Although I left the city straight after the attacks and went back to Rio, they made me much more connected to the city of New York.

What news story between January and March particularly grabbed your attention and why? 

I love the story about the Endurance being found. I read Shackleton’s diary and it was very compelling – it made me think about life as an artist. Here’s the story of a person surviving in Antarctica and I’m here in my cosy studio. It makes me want to get out and explore the world.

You can see more of Yomar’s work at yomaraugusto.com

Posted on Monday, August 14th, 2023 - Categories: #46 - Jan-Mar 2022, App Issues.