March 2001
Cesar Santander
csantander@toypaintings.com
http://www.toypaintings.com
Born June 26, 1947, near Cadiz, Spain
Education:
1975-77 Florida International University, Florida
1972 Pratt Institute, New York, M.F.A.
1969 New York University, New York
1969 Pratt Institute, New York, B.F.A.
Cesar Santander is a "Photorealist" painter. He uses photographs as sources for his paintings and the paintings themselves look like photographs. Cesar received a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree and a Master of Fine Arts Degree from Pratt Institute in New York. He was a full-time teacher for ten years in New York City and Miami, Florida. He has been painting full-time since 1980. Since 1978, he has been using the airbrush in his work. The still-life is his area of interest. Cesar first painted fruit, utensils and cups. Later he painted antique tin boxes and this led to painting tin toys. He has been painting and exploring toy subject matter since 1982. His paintings are considered among the finest that have ever been done in the genre.
ARTIST'S STATEMENT
" I conceive an idea for a painting. I then arrange the objects and use the camera to produce the strongest photographic example of my original idea. Then I paint the photographic image. Superficially, I appear to copy the photograph, but I make many adjustments to the photographic image as I complete the painting. I try to impose my own vision by subtle adjustment of colors, edges and details so that the finished painting is the strongest representation of the original idea."
