Chrisostomo Tsotso
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Chrisostomo Tsotso (Tsotsos), (b. 1971), is a contemporary multi-disciplined artist; primarily a painter in oils with other works in other mediums such as tempera, watercolor, gouache, ink, acrylic, etc. Some of his works are strictly realist, while others, complex scenes based on simple principles, and innovative technique.
Although unique and original in his painting technique, Tsotso is often compared to those of Pablo Picasso. This is because they both share similar personality dynamics, leading qualities, and their works can be divided into periods; they both have created very masterful realist portraits in addition to works of very complex subject mater, despite a simplicity of execution.
[edit] Biographical Overview
In 1979, the eight-year-old Tsotso began an apprenticeship with a welder and metalworker. Most of the time he was left to mind the shop which led to the creation of small sculptures from scrap metal and wire as well as drawing many portraits with pencil.
In 1983, after attaining much wanted attention with the locals in his parish, Tsotso began to work with egg tempera. Not long after his works were being actively traded.
In 1984, he emerged in painting in the medieval style with an unparalleled level of craftsmanship. By the requests of his customers he was encouraged to use the pigments and materials of the medieval period. Within a short time he had established a steady number of clientele, but since the young Tsotso had no concept of singing his works, many of the finer works became later misattributed. These misattributed pieces have found their way in museums around the world.
In 1988, he began a natural transition from creating original works to restoring them. This led to the discovery and creation of a wide array of varnishes. As his skill in the restorative technique grew so did the importance of the pieces he restored. New techniques were developed by him, in conjunction with the use of different lights such as ultraviolet, infrared, and x-ray. Close physical examinations were done by the use of a raking light. From this extensive study he recognized individual signature brushstrokes.
In 1990, Tsotso began to sign his works. These pieces were no longer in medieval or renaissance style but were instead abstract. The optical qualities in texture he observed through restoration could be pronounced, repeated, perhaps even exaggerated, through the use of modern synthetic media like ethyl silicates, nitro celluloid lacquers, and various other acrylic and acetate co-polymer emulsions. These abstract pieces obeyed basic principles, not familiar to other abstract artists. This in turn set Tsotso and his works apart, and caused not only much speculation but also a great deal of curiosity concerning the possible influences and origins of the compositional ideas.
In 1995, his textural repetitions, and previous abstract concepts evolved, and were brought into more figurative shapes. Gradually more and more complex thematic material were chosen. He soon realized that the thematic material could dictate the actual abstract texture.
In 2001, he began to create images using the pallialism style which purposely triggers emotional response through memory recall. This is because Tsotso found memories serve to trace versatile guidelines of behavior in order to obtain, gain or avoidance of a series of events that will ultimately lead to similar emotional intensities.
In 2004, he began a series of paintings depicting portraits of master painters as children, with very expressive attitudes. These choices of attitudes, and the symbology present, offer the "inner child" to be clearly viewed. The master painters portrayed are situated in proximity, inside or outside, a rather empty grandiose space, with a sample of their works appearing as stained glass in the windows. The paintings give a sense of fate that not only is destiny it self, but also has powerful ominous overtones.
