Luis Chacón
Painter, sculptor and engraver. Between 1938 and 1942 he attended the Artistic Circle of Maracaibo, where he received classes from Carlos Salaeche. He studied for a short time at the School of Plastic and Applied Arts, where he receives classes from Pedro Ángel González; He works in the National Cartography and in 1947 travels to Europe. Until then, his work is characterized by a figurative tendency, influenced by Mexican social realism. Travel to Madrid and enter the Academy of San Fernando. Then he goes to Paris, to Rome and, finally, returns to Barcelona, where he enrolls in the Superior School of Fine Arts of San Jorge; There he studies drawing, composition, color and art history. Later he enrolls in the sculpture and engraving workshops of the School of Arts and Crafts of La Lonja. Disciple of the engraver Teodoro Miciano, during his stay in Spain continues his figurative tendency and studies the great masters; These experiences lead him to doubt his abilities as a painter, without questioning his artistic vocation. He returns to Venezuela in 1951 and begins to work in his workshop, devoting himself to metal engraving, especially etching, drypoint and buril. In 1956 he participated with this series in the XVII Official Hall. At the end of the decade he decided to break with the figuration and concentrated on investigating the techniques of engraving from a new perspective (1960). Between 1962 and 1964 he made the series Grutas and participated with Jesús Soto and Elsa Gramcko in the XXXII Venice Biennale (1964). In 1965 he represents Venezuela at the VI Biennial of Engraving in Ljubljana and, in 1968, at the First International Biennial of Engraving in Florence (Italy). At the end of the sixties he investigated the mixed technique of silkscreen and photoserigraphy with metal plates. In 1970 he participated in the II International Festival of Painting Cagnes-sur-Mer (France), where he was awarded. In 1972, research on the line continues, trying to dispense with the plan and perform open works, which incorporates lightning and a central element. In Inciba he founded the Center of Graphic Art and directed it between 1967 and 1974; He was also head of the plastic arts department of this institute. Between 1965 and 1979 he was professor and coordinator in several centers, among them the Neumann Institute, the USB, the School of Plastic Arts of Valencia (Edo. Carabobo), the Cristóbal Rojas School and the UNESR. Member of the New International Gravure Group and president of the AVAP (1980-1982). He was a founding member of the Municipal Museum of Graphic Arts in Maracaibo (1976) and is a member of its technical council. In 1980 he represented Venezuela at Inter-Grafik-80, in Berlin, and at World Print Three, in San Francisco (California, United States), and in 1982 at the Seventh British International Print Biennale Cartwright May (Lister Park, Bradford , England). He was director of museums of the Municipal Council of the Federal District (Caracas, 1984). He was appointed commissioner of the ME for the development of plastic arts within the education system and commissioner of the Ministry of Culture (1985). In 1985 he represented Venezuela in the X International Triennial of Original Engraving (Grenchen, Switzerland). In 1992 he was present in "Venezuela chromatic world" (Faro a Colón, Santo Domingo). He was part of "Venezuelan art of the twentieth century. Megaexposition" (MBA, 2003). His essay History of Engraving in Venezuela appeared in Revista M (nº 26, Caracas, 1968, pp. 7-12). He has published books such as Quinta Visión (1973) and Notes (Caracas: Editorial Arte, 1989). The GAN has in its collection paintings, drawings, prints and sculptures of this artist, made between 1950 and 1988. His awards and recognitions are: 1961 First prize of engraving, I Salon Aragua, House of Culture, Maracay / Third prize of painting , VII Salon D'Empaire; 1962 First prize of engraving, "Fourth National Exhibition of Drawing and Engraving", Faculty of Architecture and Urbanism, UCV; 1963 Second prize for engraving, "Fifth National Exhibition of Drawing and Engraving", Faculty of Architecture and Urbanism, UCV; 1965 Third prize for engraving, "Seventh National Exhibition of Drawing and Engraving", Faculty of Architecture and Urbanism, UCV / Special Prize for Engraving, XXIII Arturo Michelena Hall / National Prize for Drawing and Engraving, XXVI Official Hall; 1966 Chevron Prize, mention painting, XI Salon D'Empaire; 1967 Fourth prize, recorded mention, I Latin American Biennial of Drawing and Engraving, Faculty of Architecture and Urbanism, UCV; 1969 Arturo Michelena Award (shared with José Antonio Dávila), XXVII Arturo Michelena Room; 1970 National Prize, II International Painting Festival, Cagnes-sur-Mer, France; 1973 Plastic Arts Award in Venezuela, MBA; 1990 Maraven Sculpture Award, Punta Cardón, Edo. Falcon; 1996 Medal of Fine Arts, Pedro Ángel González Foundation, Caracas.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
