JAVIER CINTRON
Born in 1965. Native of El Barrio El Gandul, Santurce. Neighborhood of over 120 year old. Since early childhood he was introduced to the arts by mentors like Carmelo Sobrino, Rafael Tufiño and other artists with art studios in El Barrio. Cintron studied printmaking and paper restoration in places like Mexico City, San Juan P.R, Altos de Chavón D.R, and Parsons School of Design, N.Y.C. After many decades in the diaspora Cintron returned to the place of his best memories, his childhood home. El Barrio El Gandul, well know now as our Mural District, as Vecino” he join the mural artist group with many popular pieces all over the island . Javi identified in his pictorial style our common tropical visual iconography with “Casitas Criollas” that represent our architectural story of other time and era in this island but still exist in every of the 79 towns of the island, to still remainder us of our uniqueness and identity and he’s usual “Sun and the Moon” that signifies “the only thing we have for certain Is that is always a day after another”, to do better.
Presented work: Four paintings on canvas and a documentary by Rolando Meléndez
El Barrio: Diptych, (Painting 1, painting 2) Acrylic paint, charcoal, Indian ink, gold and silver metallic lamination” -on- wooden board. (No “Altarpiece”) Size 21.5×31.5 (Piece 1 and 2)
This series represent “Me” (the artist) of being born, raised and resident of my childhood home and generations of my family before .A Visually representation of my neighborhood surrounding with my emblematic “Casitas Criollas” of other times in our island. The “Sun and Moon” repeated element in Javi Cintron Paintings means for the artist that is always another day, guaranteed.
La Casita de Calle Monserrate: 18”x24” Aclylic paint, charcoal, India ink on canvas.
“Casita Criolla” of almost a century old still in existence in my neighborhood. Typical architectural style of other times in all of Puerto Rico. The “rooster” represent our puertorican pride.
Alto del Cabro, Santurce: 3’x5’, Acrylic paint, Indian ink, collage on canvas.
A typical picture of the neighborhood where my father was from and where many of my childhood memories come from. The centenarian yellow house is where he grow up, still there as a witness to my evolution as a person. The rooster represent and demonstrates our resilience as a people in the face of our island insular struggle.
Documentary: Vecino by Rolando Meléndez
“Vecino” narrates the story of Javi “Vecino/Neighbor” Cintrón, a local muralist who paints murals of native houses that identify the Puerto Rican community and are in danger of disappearing due to gentrification.
