John Balossi
New York, USA, 1931 - San Juan, PR, 2007
Biography Details
Painter, sculptor, printmaker, watercolorist, ceramist and professor. In 1956 he received a bachelor’s degree in fine arts from the University of Columbia in New York and earned a master’s of arts degree in 1960. During those years he worked as a commercial artist and ran a gallery with J. Peplinsky, another young artist. He moved to Puerto Rico in 1960 and became a fine arts professor at the University of Puerto Rico (1962 1988). In 1974 he received an honorable mention in the First UNESCO Painting Gallery in Puerto Rico, and in 1979 he won first place in the fifth edition of the event. Among his most important solo exhibitions are those presented at the Museum of History, Anthropology and Art of the University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus in 1961; at the Ruth White Gallery in 1968 and 1970, and at the Students Art League of San Juan in 1981. His work was dedicated mainly to sculpture using materials such as stone, wood, terracotta, aluminum plates with the hammering technique, welded iron and ceramic (in the 1980s he joined the Manos Group). He also is known for his prints, drawings, watercolors and paintings. His works are recognized for the bright chromaticism and the recurrent use of horses and feminine figures.
Artist Statement
Didn’t matter where I lived... I don't know why most wide-ranging things interest me... I'm not interested in things from here or there... But things from the universe... like clouds, mountains, oceans, stars, but certainly not things or specific objects from everyday life... I gravitate towards the cataclysmic theme... John Balossi, 1972
John Balossi, 1972
Source: Rivera García, Rafael. “John Balossi…Escultor”. Artes Visuales (San Juan, PR), Núm. 8, Año 2, 1972, pp. 18-24.
Formation
Education
1960
- Masters of Art. Columbia University, New York, United States
1956
- Bachelor of Fine Arts. School of Painting and Sculpture, Columbia University, New York, United States
Professional Experience
1962-1988
- Associate Professor of Fine Arts. Universidad de Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1960-1961
- Instructor. Puerto Rico Junior College, San Juan, Puerto Rico
Exhibitions
Solo Shows
2011
- Memorias, Galería Tous Soto, Cámara de Representantes de Puerto Rico, Capitolio de Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico
2005
- Pintura reciente, Galería Viota, San Juan, Puerto Rico
2003
- Galería Viota, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1999
- Balossi, Galería Viota, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1992
- Horses and Riders: A journey from San Juan to Chiavari, Galería Rojo y Negro, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1986
- Esculturas en hierro, Galería Botello, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Constelaciones, Galería Botello, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1984
- Esculturas en barro quemado-pinturas en papel, Galería André, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1981
- Liga de Estudiantes de Arte, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1979
- Galería Palomas, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1977
- Galería Manos, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1973
- Galería Santiago, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1970
- Ruth White Gallery, New York, United States
1968
- Ruth White Gallery, New York, United States
1967
- Galería Jacques Perrin, Paris, France
1966
- Ruth White Gallery, New York, United States
- Galerie San Marco, Chiavari, Geneve, Italy
1965
- Galería Colibrí, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1964
- J. Walter Thompson Company, New York, United States
1963
- La Casa del Arte, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1961
- Museo de Historia, Antropología y Arte, Universidad de Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras Campus, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1960
- Fuerte Buchanan, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- La Casa del Arte, San Juan, Puerto Rico
Group Shows
2007
- Contexto puertorriqueño: del rococó colonial al arte global, Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico
2001
- IV Gran subasta de arte puertorriqueño, Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1990
- Pintando al Ritmo del Jazz, Galería Rojo y Negro, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1988
- Encuentro de Ceramistas de Latinoamérica, Universidad Nacional de Bogotá, Bogotá, Colombia; Venezuela; Brazil
1986
- Bienal de Ceramique, Vallauris, France
- Saludo al Encuentro de Ceramistas de Latinoamérica, Liga de Estudiantes de Arte, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Encuentro de Ceramistas de Latinoamérica, Museo de Arte de Ponce, Ponce, Puerto Rico; Everson Museum, University of Syracuse, New York; Museum of Contemporary Hispanic Art, New York, United States, Centro de Arte Contemporáneo, Mexico
- II Trienal Mundial de Cerámica Pequeña, Zagreb, Yugoslavia
- 44 Concorso della Ceramica Contemporanea, Faenza, Italy
1985
- I Trienal de Cerámica Pequeña, Zagreb, Yugoslavia
1984
- Ahoshana Wayne Gallery, Los Angeles, California, United States
- I Congreso de Artistas Abstractos de Puerto Rico, Antiguo Arsenal de la Marina Española, Instituto de Cultura, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Paintings and Ceramics, Art Expo, New York, United States
- Paintings and Sculpture, Art Expo, New York, United States
1983
- Arte Actual Puerto Rico 1983, Chase Manhattan Bank, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1981
- Expresiones en barro, Museo de Arte de Ponce, Ponce, Puerto Rico
1980-1981
- Sculpture in Clay from Puerto Rico, Newark Museum, Newark, New Jersey; Bacardi Gallery, Miami, Florida; Museum of Fine Arts, Springfield, Massachusetts; Museum of South Texas, Corpus Christi, Texas, United States
1980- 1982
- Competencia Internacional de cerámica artística, Faenza, Italy
1979
- V Salón de Pintura UNESCO, Museo de Historia, Antropología y Arte, Universidad de Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- III Muestra de Pintura y Escultura Puertorriqueña, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1978
- II Muestra de Pintura y Escultura Puertorriqueña, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1977
- Latin American Sculpture, Xerox Corp., Rochester, New York, United States
- I Muestra de Pintura y Escultura Puertorriqueña, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1974
- I Salón de Pintura UNESCO, Museo de Historia, Antropología y Arte, Universidad de Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras Campus, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- III Bienal de San Juan del Grabado Latinoamericano y del Caribe, Convento de los Dominicos, Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1972
- II Bienal de San Juan del Grabado Latinoamericano y del Caribe, Convento de los Dominicos, Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1970
- I Bienal de San Juan del Grabado Latinoamericano y del Caribe, Convento de los Dominicos, Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1969
- Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1968
- Childe Hassam Invitational, American Academy of Arts & Letters, New York, United States
1967
- Festival de Navidad, Ateneo Puertorriqueño, San Juan, Puerto Rico
Awards, Distinctions and Achievements
1987
- Honorable Mention. II World Triennial of Ceramics, Zagreb, Yugoslavia
1979
- First Prize. Fifth UNESCO Exhibition of Painting, Paris, France
- Award. R.J. Reynolds Tabacco Company, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1974
- Honorable Mention. First UNESCO Painting Salon, Paris, France
1967
- Honorable Mention. Christmas Festival, Ateneo Puertorriqueño, San Juan, Puerto Rico
Collections
- Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- American Airlines Admiral’s Club, Aeropuerto Internacional Luis Muñoz Marín, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Arthur Andersen & Company, Aeropuerto Internacional Luis Muñoz Marín, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Ateneo Puertorriqueño, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Avon-Mirabella, Aguas Buenas, Puerto Rico
- Banco Popular de Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Centro de Bellas Artes Luis A. Ferré, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Chase Manhattan, New York, United States; San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Compañía de Turismo de Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Drew University, Madison, New Jersey, United States
- Esso Collection of Puerto Rican Graphics, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Finch College Art Museum, New York, United States
- Fine Arts Center, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts, United States
- Galería Viota, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Giorgio La Pira, Rome, Italy
- Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Istituto Statale d’Arte, Castelli, Italy
- J. Walter Thompson Company, New York, United States
- Library of Congress, Washington DC, United States
- Museo de Arte de Ponce, Ponce, Puerto Rico
- Museo de Historia, Antropología y Arte, Universidad de Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras Campus, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Museo del Barrio, New York, United States
- Museum of Fine Arts, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, United States
- Museum of Modern Art, New York, United States
- R. Rockefeller, New York, United States
- R.J. Reynolds Tabacco Company, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Società Economica di Chiavari, Chiavari, Italy
Bibliography
Catalogues
Balossi, Galería Viota, San Juan,1999.
John Balossi: Horses and Riders: Ajourney from San Juan to Chiavari, Galería Rojo y Negro, San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Newspapers
“John Balossi ofrece taller”. El Nuevo Día, Por Dentro (San Juan, PR), 16 de septiembre de 2001, p. 85.
Pérez Ruíz, José Antonio. “ Balossi…en Galería Viota. Primera Hora, Fin de Semana (San Juan, PR), 8 de octubre de 1999, pp. 12-13.
Paniagua, Tere. “ A rienda suelta”. El Nuevo Día, Por Dentro, (San Juan, PR), 19 de septiembre de 1999, p. 75.
Álvarez Lezama, Manuel. “ John Balossi: equus y eros”. El Nuevo Día, Por Dentro, (San Juan, PR), 12 de septiembre de 1999, p. 84.
Toro, Ana Teresa. “Balossi: siempre maestro”. El Nuevo Día, Cultura, (San Juan, PR), 10 de abril de 2007, p. 84.
Pérez Ortíz, Tatiana. “Lienzos para celebrar la vida”. El Nuevo Día, Por Dentro (San Juan, PR), 19 de enero de 2003, pp. 70.
Alegre Barrios, Mario. “Se apaga John Balossi”. El Nuevo Día, Cultura (San Juan, PR), 9 de abril de 2007, p. 70.
Díaz Roberts, Samantha. “Los caballos y las mujeres de Balossi”. El Nuevo Día, Arte y Cultura (San Juan, PR), 7 de noviembre de 2005, p. 19.
Magazines
Rivera García, Rafael. “John Balossi…Escultor”. Artes Visuales (San Juan, PR), Núm. 8, Año 2, 1972, pp. 18-24.
Santiago Vidal, Migdalia. “ Balossi. Artista sin límites ni fronteras”. Imagen (San Juan, PR), julio 1988, pp. 120-125.