Carlos M Galindo Biography
Carlos M. Galindo was born in Havana’s "El Vedado" in 1953. His father, Antonio Galindo, was a photographer. Antonio was active in the Cuban revolution and later became the professional photographer to Fidel Castro and his brothers, Raúl and Ramón. In 1979, Carlos attempted to escape from Cuba and was captured and jailed. Because of his political activities in prison, he languished there for ten years until 1989, when, through the personal intervention of Reverend Jesse Jackson, he was released. Carlos emigrated to the U.S. in 1989, where he currently resides in Los Angeles, California with his wife Lili and his two young daughters. Although he has never received formal training, all of his work has been inspired by the love of art. His first artistic manifestation occurred in early 1965, when he began drawing cartoons similar to those he saw on television. His work soon received recognition and at age 12 he won the prestigious "Tiza Sobre Asfalto" award for his work with chalk on asphalt. In Cuba, he earned a living painting wall murals. His time as a political prisoner gave him the opportunity to read and continue his education, which further encouraged him to pursue art. Galindo’s work is strongly influenced by the Surrealist Movement, using the human figure as his principal subject. Additionally, Carlos has been influenced by the 15th century realists Michelangelo and Leonardo Da Vinci, and 20th century artist Modigliani. From them he discovered the possibilities of working with light, color and shadow. He works mainly on plywood, cement and canvas as the base of his paintings.
"I like to start giving some texture to the plywood with the canvas and the cement to get a richer and complex look. Then I start with acrylic as the base color of the painting, finishing up with oil and sandpaper to give volume and an additional interest. To me, the rustic and antique effect that you get with the different materials, textures and colors is sometimes more important than the paintings itself, giving the viewer a desire to touch. What makes a work of art good is the reflection of essence and feeling, not what makes it similar to reality."—Carlos Galindo
Samples of his work can be seen in the Flores Carbonell Collection
