The works in Fernando Reyes’ “Making the Cut” are made with his own handprinted paper that is cut and arranged into patterns. He has created mono prints for many years but the idea of cutting and collaging them arose in late 2014 after seeing a retrospective of Matisse cut-outs at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Known for his figurative work, this is Fernando’s debut of abstract art. The images reflect a myriad of sources that have captured his imagination, from whole art movements like Mid-century modern art; from individual artists like Alexander Calder and Ellsworth Kelly; from visual childhood memories of furniture, buildings, commercial advertising, fashion trends, movies, and television (The Jetsons, Laugh In); from the neon signs of Las Vegas in the 1950s and 1960s; or from shadows cast by trees, fences or other structures. They are meant to arouse the senses, to conjure emotional states, to enliven curiosity, and to instigate the telling of a story.
Art is a second career for FERNANDO REYES who spent 17 years in banking in San Francisco. He began as a self-taught artist, then sought formal art education at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (BFA, 1997). He has lived in Oakland since 1998. Fernando’s studio is located in the Jingletown neighborhood in Oakland at Ford Street Studios. He has an extensive resume of solo and group exhibitions on a regional and national basis. His work has been acquired for the art collections of Stanford University Medical Center, Alameda County Arts Collection, Amoco Corporation, Ruth Chris Steakhouse, Tom of Finland Foundation, Leslie-Lohman Museum of Gay and Lesbian Art, George and Cynthia Miller Wellness Center and numerous private collectors.
