B. 1984 in Buenos Aires; currently resides in New York, NY

Rodrigo Mateo was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina in 1984 and emigrated to the United States in 1998, to Westchester county in New York. Mateo received his education at the State University of New York at New Paltz and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Photography. As a new student Mateo was enrolled in the painting program at New Paltz. However, after a few semesters he realized that he was more concerned about learning technique than he was about theory and that the University’s courses in traditional methods were considerably limited. It was then that he turned his attention to photography, encouraged by his father and grandfather, who were both cinematographers. After graduation he became resolute to learn more about the disciplines of painting and drawing and soon, thereafter, completed his final chapter of formal studies at the Grand Central Atelier where he studied classical technique with Jacob Collins.

The reality Mateo creates on the canvas is one of subdued harmonious color and simplified beauty. His education in photography taught him that a well-framed scene can create a wonderful image from the most ordinary of situations. “I tend to think less about classical painting arrangements and more in terms of cinematographic/photographic stills. I think a lot about how things come in and out of a frame or the tension between just a few painted objects and the empty space around it.” To do this effectively Mateo utilizes strong shapes and silhouettes in his work in order to control the way the eye moves around the picture plane resulting in a very pleasing visual experience.