Chicago’s weather has inspired songs and its fair share of curses. For artist Nestor
Yulfo the mercurial nature of outdoor life in the city has inspired him to not just
create art, but to re imagine how it is created. “I cannot tell you the impact that the
weather has on me, and how that began to fuel in me ways of creating that I’d never
imagined,” he says.
The native of Puerto Rico uniquely experienced Chicago during his time as a bike
messenger. He says his urban outdoor experience provided him a view of life from
‘the center of the city,’ a view that was molded by the weather.
Sounding more like a scientist than an artist he speaks of how energy is defined by
the physical properties of matter and radiation, and how that energy manifests,
causing motion and the interaction of molecules that transforms objects. The effect of energy can be noticed through the effects of decay upon both the
natural and man-made world Yulfo says. From decomposing billboards to the
formation of rust on metal left out in the rain. The artist is vested in capturing that
moment of decomposition.
From Aguadilla on the northwestern tip of Puerto Rico he says the folklore of the
region “captivates my imagination.” He says the area is topographically similar to the
mediterranean and he gets excited by the beautifully preserved colonial architecture
and beautiful landscapes of his hometown. Raised in a single-parent household his
mother moved to Chicago to fulfill her Master's in Computer Science thus excelling
her career in nursing when he was 14 yrs of age.
He attended St. Patrick's H.S. on the city’s NW side and was active in the arts beginning with his introduction to the arts' club as a freshman. It offered him, he says, “a quiet place
to concentrate,” and escape from the social peer pressures. Most importantly he was having “a really beautiful experience.” Although he is the family's only artist he says his mother has a passion for literature; writes poetry and is a strong influence on his artistic carrier pursuit.
After high school, he pursued the graphic designer curriculum at Columbia College
Chicago and was there through his junior year, when he became disillusioned with
inconsistencies in the program and the lack of individual support he received from some of his teachers. The final
straw came after a less than stellar portfolio review in which he noticed bias. It was
then he started working as a bike messenger.
His up-close observations of the correlation between the weather, the urban
landscape, and specifically the impact of energy that exists in natural elements were
inspiring for his art practice, which he says is rooted in abstract expressionism.
“Through the physical act of applying media to the canvas, or building structures, I
become the vehicle implementing these universal laws of energy,” says Yulfo. “Often
my paintings and sculptural works mimic weathered surfaces, recreating moments of
beauty out of what one might perceive as decay and destruction.”
His exploration of nature also led him to develop proprietary ways of creating. With one he uses a mouth atomizer to apply paint, blowing air through a pipe and
controlling the application of the pigment with his breath. Using basic principles of
chemistry, he plays with density in the works he created with pulverized granite and
polymers. He continuously experiments to achieve certain textures, and creates
using a variety of medium including hand-drawn elements, gold leaf, and low relief
carving.
Yulfo studied under self-described “Rural Modernist,” McArthur Binion, a Columbia
instructor, who he says had a huge influence on how he approaches his work, and
was instrumental in helping him develop a creative way of thinking. Binion also
eschewed brushes preferring oil stick, crayon, and laser-printed images to create his
lushly textured and colored, geometrically patterned works. Also, the work of photographer and sculptor Andy Goldsworthy the British artist whose
installations involve natural materials and the passage of time.
All these
just ‘clicked’ with him and meshed with his artistic sensibility.
Yulfo may no longer be navigating the streets of Chicago as a bike messenger but
you can experience his work online and in person at various art shows and festivals nationwide.
