ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN DE MODE JAN-FEB-MAR 2021 (Vol IV, Issue XIX)
Article Published on: 03 FEB 2023 | www.demodemagazine.com
Sebastian is a curious soul, of hues far beyond the visible. At first sight of his work, you might encounter a broad range of influences from various arts, being actual photography, music, and world cultures his primal roots. Born in Uruguay, now settled in Madrid, keeping his life and art in coherence, he extended his artistic winds throughout the world, embracing a myriad of views, in a first step to constant evolution, with a steady eye for tendencies and a strong will to shape them.
He absorbed the troubled feel of the 90s in his early years, traces of which you can find in his more obscure works. Scary, sometimes gory tones found in Marilyn Manson videos and the MTV grunge scene give an account of his love of music, especially Nirvana, whose frontman served as his first influence, in a mix of both craftsmanship and brutality. But it’s not all dark and sad in Seba’s land: Take the childish and hyperactive Yo-Landi Vi$$er and find her in her most fresh but straightforward protest as an additional color in his palette.
Like a galaxy of influences, you can also find Planet Circus in Seba’s universe. This colorful and fun world has interested him from a young age, and it bears witness to a rather implied behavior in an activity most people passively engage in as an audience, mastering the art of juggling himself. Always in search of the new, he acts almost as a conveyor of the many tendencies he admires and enjoys. A world traveler and a people person, his eclectic mood is a magnet to individuals around the globe who may be as intriguing as him, and he welcomes their vision into his own work. Just like Sebastiao Salgado, one of his major influences, he works with an empathetic view from both sides of the lens to really understand the reality of his model.
But the Brazilian master is just one of many roots for his artistic influence tree: You can find traces of the surrealist pastel landscape of Tim Walker or the subtle humanism of Peter Lindbergh’s portraits in his fashion works. Sado-pop characters like the Japanese duo Aya & Bambi or those found in American horror story series along with the childish rage of Die Antwoord will also perspire out of a brief insight into his darker angle. His numerous books are swarming with genderless faces and clothing.
Sebastian cares for a balance between artistic expression and thorough detail. Experience allows him to portray his vision and satisfy a precise agenda keeping pace with what you can consider a clear and elegant display of reality.
