Jorge Blanco is an American artist, born in Caracas, Venezuela on March 21, 1945. He earned a degree in industrial design from the Neumann Institute of Design in Caracas, (Class of 1971). Blanco’s early stages as a sculptor brought on intense works of art, portraying angst and oppression. It is in his next phase that he flourished and his true self was exposed.
In the mid-1970s Blanco moved to Rome, Italy. There he attended open classes at the Academy of Fine Arts, while he worked on his sculptures and made a living by doing freelance graphic design and drawing cartoons for various Roman newspapers and magazines. It was there that he developed an idea for a comic strip “The Castaway.”
Blanco left Rome in 1979 for a position in Caracas, as the art director for a science and technology center. In 1980 his comic strip became an overnight success with sales in merchandising, books, even crossing over to television. It was published in major newspapers and magazines in Venezuela. With the hit “Castaway,” his work as a freelance illustrator, graphic designer and his job, Blanco was engulfed in Caracas, reluctantly putting aside his passion: sculpting.
In 1989 Jorge returned to his sculptures, now with a very different approach, using bright colors, a touch of humor and new materials. He began exhibiting his work again, in Venezuela and the United States.
In 1996 Blanco installed four sculptures in Tokyo, Japan; three were a special commission of the Contemporary Sculpture Centre and the other one stands in the Azabu Juban district.
1997 brought Maratón to Caracas, a group of three sculptures installed on the median of a vital motorway of the city. With these projects, Blanco discovered his true passion for public art and redirected his work to further contribute to the development of culture in our communities, while making art accessible to all.
Since 1999 he lives and works in the West Coast of Florida. He became an American Citizen in 2008. Jorge was highlighted by Florida International Magazine as one of the creative individuals that help make the state a destination with unlimited potential. His endeavors in public art continue strong with sculptures successfully installed in various cities across the United States and South America. His work is exhibited and collected in Europe, South America, Asia and the US.
Blanco has developed distinguished careers as a sculptor, graphic designer, humorist and illustrator. Above all, it is through his strength as a sculptor that Blanco leaves a mark, gracing our spaces with his brilliant and distinctive sculptures.
