Pablo Díaz-Carballo is an international artist who works on contemporary art research projects. His painting has given rise to a Conceptual Art proposal that was converted through the Expanded Concept of Art into a cultural work of art, parallel and complementary to his painting.
The “end” of the Academic Painting
With Kazimir Malevich and Lucio Fontana, the end of Academic Painting as it was understood until then was declared.
Malevich’s work, a white square on a white background, and Fontana’s cuts on neutral canvas marked the “end” of painting. That is, all the possibilities and combinations of the elements of expression: perspective, analysis, interaction, variables, tensions, harmony, composition, and color had been studied and resolved.
Suddenly, the door to conceptual art opened.
For Pablo Díaz-Carballo, even today, painting is a key reference to which he would turn time and time again to solve problems of conceptual art. It is the fundamental and principal activity that allows him to interact with his conceptual art. Since the beginning at the Jacobo Borges Museum in 1999, Pablo Díaz-Carballo has created hybrid artworks such as traditional oil painting within installations, or combining traditional oil painting with video art, etc.
The Expanded Concept of Art
The Cultural Artwork of Pablo Díaz-Carballo emerged from Painting to Conceptual Art. It embodies the idea-metaphor of the House of the Mind, which was developed across space and time through fine arts, social sciences, technology, and innovative educational methodologies.
The Expanded Concept of Art can be translated into a Cultural Artwork, an organic and intangible piece evidenced through the artist’s proposals, projects, and tangible results. Today, this historical work will be exhibited in a Museum of Contemporary Art.
Pablo Díaz-Carballo initiated his journey from painting, using the metaphor of The House of the Mind, and delved into Conceptual Art by questioning: What is Art? Through this process, he interacted with his painting, expanding this concept beyond his artistic studies.
The outcome was his Cultural Work (La Buena Gripe & IDEO ARTE), which impacted over 4,620 students directly and indirectly reached more than 15,000 individuals.
Pablo Díaz-Carballo’s cultural artwork simultaneously served as the inspiration for the development and refinement of his painting during that period. Both aspects have evolved in parallel since 1999.
The current process in 2024
The current process of the art studio continues as Pablo Díaz-Carballo works on new paintings related to this process, so much so that this Cultural Artwork has once again become a painting. The painting remains the foundation for all of his artwork.
Arelis Díaz has been working with him for 23 years as the manager of these projects.
“Plastic process of the concept” 40 x 26″ acrylic on canvas, 2020. This work was created using the original documents used by Arelis during her management of IDEO ARTE and represents a timeline of one of the projects with its development milestones.
Historical development
From the Cultural Action to the Contemporary Art and Academic Painting.
Origin, development and conclusion
Pablo Diaz Carballo began his career as a professional contemporary artist in 1999. Before that, during 1980-83, he was an active participant in Caracas’ punk-rock movement, which encompassed a diverse group of individuals, including artists, musicians, filmmakers, poets, and political activists.
However, within a year, the movement underwent significant changes, as it became infiltrated by socialists, communists, and even Neo-Nazis. This prompted Pablo to disassociate himself from the movement. Despite lacking a specific political ideology, the group remained united in advocating for human rights, justice, quality education, combating political corruption, and promoting economic freedom. They utilized arts and music as powerful mediums for their activism.
To understand activism’s true essence, one must realize that effecting change doesn’t necessarily require resorting to violent means like city-wide riots. Instead, it demands creativity and the ability to instill values that can bring about meaningful transformations.
In addition to his artistic pursuits, Pablo pursued parallel studies to enhance his skills. He underwent two years of technical training in visual arts, followed by five years culminating in a degree in painting. Simultaneously, he delved into complementary disciplines, including three years of university-level history covering anthropology, sociology, and philosophy. He also devoted time to classical piano, drums, and graphic design, among other courses that complemented his artistic journey.
This diverse educational background played a crucial role in shaping Pablo’s conceptual art proposal and his subsequent cultural work.
Fine Arts College
In 1999, Pablo graduated with honors in painting, marking the beginning of his professional art career, with Arelis Diaz providing invaluable support as project manager.
Origin, development, and conclusion
Pablo’s exploration of the Expanded Concept of the Arts and his artistic development during this phase led to significant changes in Caracas’ school education system. Recognizing the importance of arts in fostering creative thinking, Pablo introduced reforms that emphasized the role of artists in shaping students’ intellectual growth.
His involvement in the punk rock movement, coupled with his dissatisfaction with the education system’s neglect of artistic talents, fueled his desire for change. He envisioned a radical transformation that would harness the power of art to challenge societal norms and address systemic issues.
By integrating the House of the Being concept with the Expanded Concept of Arts and drawing inspiration from Andy Warhol’s principles, Pablo devised innovative artistic programs aimed at democratizing access to art and music education. These initiatives had a profound impact, benefiting thousands of students and their families and reshaping the educational landscape over the course of fifteen years.
In summary, Pablo Diaz Carballo’s journey reflects a blend of artistic expression, activism, and educational reform, all driven by a passion for effecting positive change through the transformative power of art.
Conceptual Art
Marcel Duchamp once said several key ideas about Conceptual Art: “In conceptual art, the limits of the definition of art disappear. – The concept becomes more important than technique and craftsmanship. – The concept of the work of art is no longer confined to formal or expressive criteria. – Any object can be subjected to the interpretation of the artist. – Any object can be transformed into a work of art. -The artist has absolute freedom and authority to decide what is art. – Sculpture and painting lose their autonomy. – The line that differentiates painting from sculpture disappears. – The work of art becomes integral and can encompass any plastic element according to the concept of the work”.
The Metaphor of the House of the Mind
The Three Windows of Consciousness – Oil on Paper, 36″ x 24″ – 1999 – Pablo Diaz Carballo. .
In 1994, the conceptual art project originated from Pablo’s first paintings, in which he represented the metaphor of “The House of the Mind”. He continues developing this metaphor through his career, current paintings, and projects.
THE HOUSE OF THE MIND
Pablo Diaz Carballo – Conceptual Art – Installation – Oil on MDF and acrylic sheet over the painting to produce a blurred image – Audio of art critics’ analysis who viewed the painting before being covered by the acrylic sheet.
Pablo Diaz Carballo – Arte conceptual – Instalación – Oleo sobre MDF y lámina de acrílico sobre la pintura para producir una imagen difusa – Audio del análisis de los críticos de arte que miraron el cuadro antes de ser velado por la lámina de acrílico. As Pablo Diaz painted, he dubbed the concept from which his images emerged “The House of the Inner Being” or “The House of the Mind”. Pablo’s concepts explore the state of man’s inner being, particularly his mental and spiritual condition. He represents these ideas in his paintings by using as metaphors the images of lights and shadows, the architecture, the house, the window, the door and structures under construction.
The Metaphor and Representation of the State of Mind
The painting to the left is a metaphor of a state of concern, anguish, and despair. As man searches and fights to achieve the solution to a problem, he endeavors to look through the windows of the mind, opening doors until he finds the light and an exit. On the other hand, the painting to the right represents the moment where man finds the solution to his problem and experiences peace and fulfillment. He remains in this state until the next problem forces his return to the labyrinth of the conscience.
Painting and Conceptual Art in the Museum
Painting
Conceptual Art
Thesis
Tradition and Modernism: Pablo Diaz’s creations invite the spectator into a visual, auditive, or audiovisual experience, leading the spectator to analyze and mentally complete his experience of the work of art.
ART EXHIBITIONS
POETICS of the HOUSE of MIND
GALLERY
Diaz Mancini Gallery
Performance, artworks, and exhibition at the art gallery in La Castellana, Caracas, 1999.
JB MUSEUM
JACOBO BORGES MUSEUM
Pablo applied culture as an “antivirus” system for individuals with “sociocultural disorders” in Caracas, 1999.
TFC MUSEUM
TULIO FEBRES CORDERO
Pablo Diaz – Paintings and Expanded Concept of Arts, Solo Art Show. Mérida, 2000.
THE EXPANDED CONCEPT OF ART
The Expansion of Creative Consciousness through Fine Arts.
The Expanded Concept of Art proposes that the arts should go beyond the simple production of art pieces as purely decorative objects, to become a proposition that intellectually challenges the spectator. Based on these premises of contemporary art, we gain insight into the work of Pablo Diaz Carballo.
Contemporary Art
With contemporary art, the artist not only creates sculpture or painting, but also focuses on shaping the spectator’s mind through the resources of conceptual art.
Through their painting or sculpture, the artist challenges the spectator to contemplate a theme; the artwork becomes complementary to that theme, as seen in Joseph Kosuth’s depiction “One and Three Chairs”. Conceptual art is closer to philosophy than other artistic disciplines.
During an art workshop, while drawing a tree outdoors, Pablo Díaz had a visual experience of contemplating the presence of the tree as he had never understood it before.
Pablo had learned to look at things conceptually at school, in this case, through the concept of “tree”, but he had not previously experienced the real contemplation and phenomenology of the tree as a living being, a presence, etc.
Thus, training his gaze through drawing revealed another reality, another way of looking at things, in this case, a gaze trained with a intuition, creativity or a poetic experience, to draw a tree.
Pablo understood that due to the lack of such experiences during his school years, he then saw the tree only through the concept, but not through its visual presence.
Therefore, to achieve substantial changes in the “House of the Mind” of other people, experiences in the arts are paramount in expanding and developing creative thinking.
Marcel Duchamp: Conceptual Art. Andy Warhol: Mass production and popularization of artwork production. Joseph Kosuth: Concept, image, and object experience.
References and influences from master artists
References and influences from master artists: Giotto, Leonardo Da Vinci, Rembrandt – Marcel Duchamp, Andy Warhol, Joseph Beuys, Joseph Kosuth, Jackson Pollock.
Regarding the Expanded Concept of Arts, Joseph Beuys affirmed that arts should emerge from museums and exhibition halls to become part of day-to-day life. Arts are a fundamental catalyst for moral, political, and economic changes in men, as the artistic concept primarily has an anthropological character.
PROBLEM
Arts are essential for the development of creative thought and innovation, and therefore vital for the country’s development. Why, then, are arts considered subjects of little importance in education? Thus, to teach arts, it is necessary not only to teach the concept but, more importantly, the experiences of art.
How can one design the House of the Inner Being in the mind of another person to boost their creative capabilities? How can one transmit the importance and value of arts during education?
Thus, to teach arts, it is necessary not only to teach the concept but, more importantly, the experiences of art.
Then, how is one to design the House of the Inner Being in the mind of another person in order to boost their creative capabilities? How may one transmit the importance and value of arts during education?
Andy Warhol and the Factory
Influenced by the Conceptual Art of Andy Warhol’s Factory, Pablo Diaz Carballo founded La Buena Gripe and, two years later, Ideo Arte, through which he developed the serial production of art and music workshops to modify the minds of students, in relation to the question: “What is Art?” He worked with Arelis Diaz and a team of diverse artists from various disciplines, including artists, musicians, designers, filmmakers, etc. For fifteen years, he achieved a high serial production of school artworks, recordings, audiovisuals, etc. It was a factory of thought processes and creation, with projects, products, and services of student artworks that managed to shock the system through experiences and works of children’s art with quality to present in museums and concert halls.
Intervention by Pablo Diaz on the picture “One and Three Chairs” by Joseph Kosuth.
When considering Joseph Kosuth’s piece “One and Three Chairs,” Pablo Diaz realized that schools lacked a program for the development of the creative process. The existing school program was based on repetition and memorization of concepts aimed at obtaining grades. Regarding artistic education, there were no art or music workshops to develop the creative experience of the arts. As an analogy, it was as though students were shown pictures and concepts of a chair, but they were not allowed to see an actual chair, touch it, or sit on it to live the experience. Pablo Diaz presented these Conceptual Art projects in an exhibition at the Jacobo Borges Museum in Caracas, 1999.
To the left: Jackson Pollock – To the Right: Microscopic image of Neuronal Nets – Dr. Ricardo Castañón
One of Pablo’s inspirations is Jackson Pollock and his dripping technique, as Pollock did not touch the canvas at any point. Similarly, Pablo Diaz was able to transfer his ideas to the minds of students through teachers who followed his instructions. They were able to create graphs or neuronal marks with his artistic programs. As seen in the microscopic image to the right, corresponding to the brains of three different individuals, each individual had different levels of education (basic, medium, and complex), and their neuronal maps show biological differences. It is also interesting to note that Pollock’s images are graphically similar to the brain and neuron sample plates presented by Dr. Ricardo Castañón during his conference “When the Word Injures,” regarding the impact of the word according to Cognitive Neurophysiology.
From painting to conceptual art and to the expanded concept of art, the result was IDEO ARTE as a cultural work of art.
Pablo Diaz Carballo was inspired by Giotto di Bondone and Leonardo Da Vinci as well. Giotto not only painted what he saw but also what he conceived in his mind. Leonardo represents the methodology of the universal Artist, the multidisciplinary thought that works simultaneously in various fields of Arts and Sciences. Pablo Diaz Carballo painted the metaphor of the House of the Mind, and like many other multidisciplinary artists, whose greatest exponent is Leonardo Da Vinci, he worked in various areas for his Expanded Artwork. He worked as a creative, conceptual, and intellectual artist of his art and music programs, painter, graphic designer, programmer with the Flash program, teacher, project director, pianist, drummer, assisting in recording music and mixing songs, video camera operator, editor, stop-motion, among several other activities.
1999 – 2017
THE CONCEPTUAL ART LAB
ARTS – MUSIC – AUDIOVISUAL
Pablo Diaz worked with Arelis Diaz to form Ideo Arte, his own conceptual art lab that culturally impacted 4.620 students.
The Painting Progress
During those years, Pablo Diaz Carballo produced and exhibited forty-two paintings related to this process of conceptual art, using oil or acrylic paint on polyptych wooden pieces, representing the House of Consciousness (Mind) but now under the new standards of Ideo Arte.
According to the Expanded Concept of Arts, music was fundamental to the development of Pablo Diaz’s projects. The senses of sight and hearing are two of the most demanding senses, requiring sensory, cognitive, and intellectual processes. Modern culture is intensely visual, auditory, and audiovisual. Aside from this, there are similarities in the areas of both sight and hearing – for example, the temperature or the color of the sound, scales, tones, harmony, rhythm.
Even though both fields are very well differentiated, there is a profound relation between music and visual arts, which can be appreciated through the depths of masterpieces of classical music, the improvisation of Jazz, the simplicity of rock, and the primitive strength of punk-rock. Thus, music became an instrument for Pablo Diaz during his work of rebuilding the house of the auditive conscience. Among his influences were Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Erik Satie, Debussy, John Cage, Bert Kaempfert, blues, jazz, The Clash, Ramones.
PRELIMINARY TEST
During the introductory class at Ideo Arte, the students participated in a diagnosis exercise, where they were asked to make a free drawing. The results were standard, for example: triangle-shaped mountains, V-shaped birds, stickman people, and other stereotypes. Another example is the one shown in the image above, where the drawing of a third-grade boy displayed violence. The standard school arts programs had been producing results like these throughout elementary school and high school.
LEARNING ARTS
New Methodologies
Pablo Diaz started to work on his conceptual artwork, like an architect or engineer of the mind, developing new experiences, methodologies, and technologies for his programs of creative thinking – both for the classroom and for extracurricular activities.
The new architecture of the House of the Inner Being implied the application of the Expanded Concept of Arts to develop music, arts, and audiovisual programs – like architects or engineers do with their projects, or like Jackson Pollock as he did not touch the canvas with his paintbrush.
Arts are taught at school, but not really from conceptual art. Pablo Diaz managed to transmit the biochemical energy of his ideas through the resources that he used – in this case, strategies to change the comprehension of the historical question “What is art?”, to change the way Arts are known. Thus, thinking about the factories of Andy Warhol, Pablo Diaz and his wife hired a group of artists and musicians to apply his programs on a large scale.
Over the course of twenty years, Pablo developed his work of conceptual art in the minds of the children, in the mind of the teachers, of the families, of the community, and of the artists that participated in his programs.
Pablo and Arelis Diaz created all the needed strategies and methodologies to demolish prejudices, opening windows and doors as ways of accessing experiences to modify the “design of the House of the Inner Being” until reaching the objectives of Conceptual Art: the modeling of the conscience, modifying the walls of the conscience in relation to what was understood as the Arts in basic education.
RESULTS
Conceptual Art Projects and results
THE POETRY OF THE HOUSE OF THE MIND
Creative Conscience through Arts
NEW STANDARDS IN ARTS DURING ELEMENTARY EDUCATION
ARTS
Almost five thousand children benefited from the visual arts and music programs. The premises of the problem were also proven at the international level, when three hundred more children in Willemstad, a Dutch province in the Caribbean, received these programs.
Annual results of Fine Arts, Audiovisual Arts, and Music recorded in CD, DVD, Blue Ray Format delivered to each student who participated in the programs.
MUSIC
Standard open class in the school and the contrast with the new standard with IDEO ART: Concert, live recording, live sound and sound master mix with engineers, and CD, DVD, and Blue Ray professional post-production.
AUDIOVISUAL
We developed a new audiovisual system for elementary school students, whose results were showcased in the auditorium of each school as a cinema premiere: video art, stop-motion animations, cartoons, interviews, and acting. The videos were given to the students on CD, DVD, or Blu-ray.
PAINTINGS
From conceptual art and the expanded concept of the art process.
2019
In recent years, Pablo Diaz has displayed diverse exhibitions in museum halls and galleries. He has also developed forty works of art with mosaic and polyptych patterns, representing the subjectivity and the overlap of images of consciousness that affect the interpretation of reality. Thus, art has a relative value according to the architecture of the house of the mind in each person.
Each person interprets a book differently according to the “house” of their mind. Interpretation depends on one’s memory images. A three-year-old child perceives a book differently from a student forced to do homework or a jungle aborigine who has never seen a book. Likewise, a writer or poet views a book with the love that comes from the spiritual aspect of poetry. In Pablo Diaz Carballo’s paintings, each central image represents objective and physiological sight, while smaller images represent cultural and subjective memory, overlapping in the visual consciousness of the eye, affecting the interpretation of the object.
Pablo Diaz’s creative process with Ideo Arte lasted twenty years, producing the images that he is currently processing in his art studio. Thus, the circle is completed; from the first metaphors in his paintings, to conceptual art, to the expanded concept of arts, all leading back to the artist’s ongoing study.
1999 – 2022
The House of the Mind Metaphor and the Creative Cycle
Pablo Diaz Carballo’s story is about an artistic process that started with paintings and expanded into an exploration of conceptual art and the expanded concept of art. From this, Pablo Diaz obtained results from the graphical archeology of Ideo Arte, his Cultural Work of Art.
This database of images is the source that inspired him to return to his art studio to resume painting in new conceptual art projects.