Oscar Mestey Villamil
Santurce, PR, 1955
Biography Details
Painter, graphic designer, set designer, choreographer. Mestey completed his BA in art and drama at the University of Puerto Rico in 1975, and his master’s degree at NYU in 1980. On his return to Puerto Rico, he produced masks and scenery for theatrical productions. He also joined the Frente group, a collective of abstract artists organized by Luis Hernández Cruz, and showed his work at the First Congress of Abstract Artists of Puerto Rico in 1984. From 1985 to 1993 he was director of the art collection of the José M. Lázaro Library at the University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus, where he currently works as a librarian. For the Puerto Rican government’s Public Art Project, he created Cartelera, with which Mestey hoped to foster reflection on contemporary social issues. His work employs brightly-colored geometric shapes to portray the world he sees.
Artist Statement
.. .for me the artist is like the translator of the “codices” or human factors that develop or operate, either socially, politically, historically, or individually. Rather, he is the one that captures and transmits, who seeks and discovers ways to challenge and inform about the surrounding reality. He is the one offering a new image of the world, of this greatly unknown world of ours."
Source: Quote from artist Oscar Mestey Villamil taken from Perez Lizano, Manuel. Arte Contemporáneo en Puerto Rico 1950-1983, Cerámica, Escultura, Pintura, Universidad Central de Bayamón, Ediciones Cruz Anzata, 1985
Formation
Education
1980
- Masters of Fine Arts. New York University, New York, United States
1975
- Bachelors of Art and Drama. Universidad de Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus, San Juan, Puerto Rico
Professional Experience
2001-2006
- Coordinator. Training program in the Organization's files of artists, designers and cultural institutions and development of collections of graphic materials in archives. Libraries and museums, Arts Collections, Universidad de Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras Campus, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1996-2006
- Organization and curatorship of the Video Series about International Dance. Dance Archive, Universidad de Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras Campus, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1985-2006
- Assistant Librarian III. Arts Collection, Library System, Universidad de Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras Campus, San Juan, Puerto Rico
2002-2005
- Consultant and Advisor. Committee for the Development of Collections and Exhibitions, Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico
2000- 2004
- Consultant and Advisor. Centro de Investigación y Museo, Casa del Textil, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1996-2003
- Editor. Artists magazine Cartelera, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1985-1993
- Management of the Arts Collection. Library System, Universidad de Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras Campus, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1988-1990
- Management of the Dance Archives. Library System, Universidad de Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras Campus, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1996 -1998
- Co-curator, Panorama del cartel en Puerto Rico: 1857-1997 exhibition. Antiguo Arsenal de la Marina Española, Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1975-1998
- Costume and set designer for theatre and dance, San Juan, Puerto Rico
Exhibitions
Solo Shows
2012
- Contramuro, Obras 1975-2012, Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico
2006
- Aquí: Pinturas recientes, Galería Raíces, San Juan, Puerto Rico
2003
- Poética y Esencia, Maquetas para el amor, Galería Raíces, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1997
- Solapa, Galería Botello, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1992
- Centro Europa, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1989
- Obras de Oscar Mestey Villamil, Galería Botello, Plaza Las Américas, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1986
- Biblioteca José M. Lázaro, Universidad de Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1985
- Vestíbulo Teatro, Colegio Universitario Tecnológico de Bayamón, Bayamón, Puerto Rico
- Antiguo Arsenal de la Marina Española, Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Visión Mascarada, Vestíbulo Teatro, Colegio Universitario de Humacao, Humacao, Puerto Rico
- Galería Botello, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1982
- Artistas Jóvenes, Museo de Arte de Ponce, Ponce, Puerto Rico
1981
- Cajas, Escaleras y Objetos, Casa Candina, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1980
- Galeria San Sebastián, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Pinturas Recientes, Liga de Estudiantes de 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
2000
- Los tesoros de la pintura puertorriqueña, Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1995
- El portafolios en la gráfica puertorriqueña, Museo de las Américas, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1994
- Exlibris, El libro como propuesta estética, Museo de Historia, Antropología y Arte, Universidad de Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras Campus, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1992
- Doce Artistas: obra reciente, Banco de Desarrollo Económico para Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Graphis Poster 92: The International Annual of Poster Art, Press Corporation, Zurich, Switzerland
1986
- La xilografía en Puerto Rico 1950-1986, Museo de Historia, Antropología y Arte, Universidad de Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras Campus, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1984
- Congreso de Artistas Abstractos de Puerto Rico, Antiguo Arsenal de La Marina Española, Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- IX Salón de la UNESCO, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1983
- Arte Joven, Chase Manhattan Bank, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1981
- Sala de Gráfica Puertorriqueña en Saludo a Latinoamérica, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1979
- Certamen Gula, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1978
- Frente, pintura, escultura, Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1977
- Certamen Amighetti de Grabado, San Jose, Costa Rica
1975
- Certamen de Artes Plásticas, Ateneo Puertorriqueño, San Juan, Puerto Rico
Awards, Distinctions and Achievements
1996
- Excellence Certificate. The STD International TypoGraphic Awards, Society of Typographic Designers, London
1994
- Selected. Print Casebooks 10, the Best in Covers and Posters, RC Publications, Inc., Rockville, Maryland, United States
1992
- Selected. Graphis Poster '92, International Annual of Poster Art, Graphis Press Corp., Zurich, Switzerland
1984
- Fourth Prize in Painting. Mobil Competition, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Mention in Painting. UNESCO Salon, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1980
- Second Prize in Painting. Revista Sin Nombre Competition, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1979
- Honorable Mention. Gulf Competition, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1977
- Acquisition Prize. Certamen Amighetti de Grabado, San José, Costa Rica
1975
- Second Prize in Painting. Ateneo Puertorriqueño, San Juan, Puerto Rico
Collections
- Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Museo de Historia, Antropología y Arte, Universidad de Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras Campus, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico
Bibliography
Books
Routte Gomez, Eneid. Conversando con nuestros artistas. San Juan, Puerto Rico: Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Puerto Rico, 1999.
Rivera, Nelson. Visual Artists and the Puerto Rican Performing Arts: 1950-1990: the Works of Jack and Irene Delano, Antonio Martorell, Jaime Suarez and Oscar Mestey Villamil. Nueva York, EU: Peter Lang Publishing, Inc., 1997.
Riutort, Ana. Historia breve del arte puertorriqueño en su contexto universal. Madrid: Editorial Playor, 1989.
Pérez Lizano, Manuel. Arte Contemporáneo de Puerto Rico 1950-1983: cerámica, escultura, pintura. Bayamón, Puerto Rico: Universidad Central de Bayamón, Ediciones Cruz Ansata, 1985.
Misool-Gogreon, SA. Contemporary Art Print of the World, Chongro- Gu, Seúl, 1989.
Catalogues
González Lamela, María del Pilar. ”Oscar Mestey”. Museo de Arte de Ponce, Ponce, Puerto Rico, 1982
Newspapers
Trelles, Carmen. El Nuevo Día (San Juan, PR), 8 de septiembre de 2008, pp. 70-71.
López Pagán, Pedro. “Aquí hay una X, El Artista Oscar Mestey Villamil exhibe su obra más reciente en la galería Raíces”. Primera Hora (San Juan, PR), 28 de septiembre de 2006, pp. 84.
“Reconocimiento al artista contemporáneo en la Galería Senatorial de Arte Puertorriqueño”. Diario Metro (San Juan, PR), 18-24 marzo de 2004, p. 18.
Benítez, Marimar. “El nuevo colorismo de Oscar Mestey”. El Nuevo Día (San Juan, PR), 15 de agosto de 1982, pp. 12-14.
Web
Colección Reyes Veray. http://coleccionreyes-veray.com/section/107718_Mestey_Villamil_Oscar.html
Pérez, Luis. “Por fin una retrospectiva de Oscar Mestey Villamil”. Dialogo Digital. http://dialogodigital.com/index.php/Por-fin-una-retrospectiva-de-Oscar-M...
“Contramuro de Oscar Mestey Villamil”. Undodigital. http://undodigital.blogspot.com/2012/01/contramuro-de-oscar-mestey-villa...
Ramos Collado, Lilliana. “Oscar Mestey Villamil: Retatro de Arlequín como artista”. 80Grados. http://www.80grados.net/oscar-mestey-villamil-retrato-de-arlequin-como-a...
Biblioteca digital Puertorriqueña. http://bibliotecadigital.uprrp.edu/cdm/singleitem/collection/carteles/id...
Arte Coa, Arte de Puerto Rico y el Caribe. http://artecoa.com/profile/OscarMesteyVillamil?xg_source=activity
Segarra, Abdiel. “Documentación exhibición retrospectiva de Oscar Mestey Villamil en el Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Puerto Rico. Con Boca, Revista
Web. http://www.conboca.org/2012/02/13/documentacion-exhibicion-retrospectiva...
Trelles, Luis R. “Geometría en movimiento”. Especial del Nuevo Día (San Juan, PR), http://www.elnuevodia.com/nota-1168857.html 19 de enero de 2012