Location: Mexico
Jose Miguel Howe was born in the city of Puebla in 1978.
He completed his undergraduate studies in Graphic Design at UDLAP and later specialized in creative new media and web development in Boston. He went to Spain in 2004 where he completed a master's degree in marketing from the Universidad Complutense and at the same time , he earned a degree in 3D computer graphics for the Aula Tematica de Madrid.
He has worked in media as Telemundo Washington Channel 64. Since 2005 is a founding partner of Howe Group. Aside from his extensive experience in graphic design, interior design, marketing , environmental and industrial design and furniture, Jose Miguel Howe is currently developing a proactive and innovative sculptural approach which uses all the resources of design, and possible applications using various types of plastics and materials.
Modernity has taught us to name the world, to look at it, to know it and even to desire it. To do so, it has resorted to such stories as the myth of Adam and Eve, the Plato´s allegory of the cave and even children's stories such as Pinocchio to taught us to distinguish good from evil, knowledge and truth.
UNUM is an exhibition of sculpture initially intended to return to this modern from of knowledge. However, during its development, José Miguel Howe has detached himself from literal narratives as forms of truth, complexing each exercise in order to call into ques_on the manner in wich they are applied.
With narrations we must understand the set of conventions of discourses that are considered as true: the religious, the scientific, the cultural and socially accepted, among others.
UNUM has its origin in the atribution of values such as beauty, truth and goodness to the perfect unity of being, which are at the same _me the main topics of this exhibit.
Yet, UNUM presented Howe a contradiction of which he has become conscious. In this exhibition, questions are raised to some conventions of ideas of truth, knowledge and desire. This questioning takes place from the objection that exists between the narrative statements that accompany and justify in its origin each piece, which are arranged in the form of texts throughout the room, and the forms of materiality which determines each sculpture, almost all linked to the symbolism and simulation that plastic as raw material embodies.
In this sense, the relevance of the work here is not only in its physical or formal appearance, nor in its narrative resources, but in the capacity to convey meanings, understanding the work of art, and especially the elements of traditional sculpture (representation, matter, volume, space and base) as an almost scenographic artifice that allows us to recognize those forces that fall on us invisibly.
Luis Calvo
Curator
This piece, invites us to reflect on who we are, the fingerprint is the only tangible element that we have since we were born, that is why it occupies the place of the face, currently we put so many masks that we lose our truth. The fingerprint invites us to return to the origin and see in ourselves, to really know ourselves.
Let's stop pretending and start being.
En busca de identidad
Pursuit of identity
Plastic Cement, Glass Fiber, EPS
175X58X40 cms
We are born with temperament, character is forged. We have been endowed with will and reason, these characteristics makes us unique, as we can make decisions and not act solely by instinct.
Choleric, sanguine, phlegmatic and melancholic, are the four main temperaments of the human being, we all have at least a little of each, one predominant and one secondary that surpass the others.
By learning to know ourselves, by understanding our essence, our truth, we can improve ourselves as human beings, make better decisions, correct our shortcomings, and make better use of our qualities. We can generate a better version of ourselves.
Temperamentos
Temperaments
Colored polyester resine
100X33X33 cms
Kindness is intrinsic in our being, it is simply transformed according to our environment.
The same girl growing up in different environments may be another person, however there is goodness, darkness comes through the absence of light. This piece, represents the duality between good and evil, we can choose.
Our decisions are the ones that will prevail ...
Plastic Cement, Fiber Glass, EPS
115X40X20 cms
When he was created by his father, Pinocchio was happy as he was conceived, then he comes out and is tempted by influences, the talking cricket always by his side, the voice of conscience, tries to make him enter into reason, however, Pinocchio, decides to be a star, but he was used and humiliated, he became a puppet.
He realized the situation and thanks his conscience, however, he tries to find his way by other easy and vain means, vices that lead him to become an animal, loosing his will and reason, once he has hit bottom, wants to return to his father, his father has been searching over and over and risked his life to save his son. Finally, Pinocchio returns with his father and repentant, asks to be a real child and a being of light, grant him his wish.
This is not just a child’s story, it could be the story of humanity.
How many of us are s_ll puppets pretending to be stars?
Poliester resin
170X75X100 cms
According to the Mayas, hummingbirds are the connection between the earthly and the divine, they bring love as no other medicine can do, they carry the thoughts and desires of the human being and their presence brings immense joy to the observer.
The hummingbirds of this piece are made with the same mold, however, each is unique, with flaws and virtues, each is unrepeatable, like humanity.
Polyurethane Foam
Variable Dimensions
(Installation)
As the nautilus grows, as does the Descarte’s curve from its origin, it passes from one chamber to another. It does so isometrically, meaning that its chambers increase in size but their shape is variable. By homothecia the cameras are generated one after another with a relation of proportionality uncommon in nature. It can inhabit 600 meters under the water and withstand great hydrostatic pressures, because the walls increase of thickness in proportion to the radius of the shell.
There is no doubt that it is perfect, so perfect, that to imitate it, it had to be printed in 3D, it is an imitation based on precision software.
Mathematical perfection.
An irrational being is loaded in its DNA with an intrinsic mathematical perfection that takes it to the maximum architectural and industrial representation. On the other hand, the bee gives us life, without bees there is no pollination, if no pollination there are no plants, no plants there is no oxygen and no oxygen there is no life on earth, as well, its honey has no expiration date, it is so pure as the perfection that creates it.
We can conclude from bees that are true since they are mathema_cal and equally good because they generate life and preserve it, therefore, said Plato:
If it is true and good, it is essentially beautiful.
Parametric Bees
Panal de abjeas y hojas de libro
Honeycomb and book sheet
Dimensiones variables
Variable dimensions
(arte objeto)
Truth, goodness and beauty are connected and we human beings are able to understand and appreciate it, we have unique gifts to contemplate the greatness that surrounds us and we forget to do so.
We live in such a hurry that we lose the reason for our existence.
UNUM is about understanding our essence, is to give ourselves as we were conceived, perfect, without masks, without complexes, without pretensions. The other beings simply exist because they are, we should simply be, however, we can decide, we have free will, we were granted this beautiful quality, which can lead us to emp_ness of spirit or to the true Being.
UNUM is to recognize that we belong to something extraordinary and we are free to live it, it is an invitation to find the truth, return to goodness and to discover the beauty of our universe.
As well as Pursuit of identity, this series of reliefs, are intended to reflect on who we really are, this excercises are based on your temperament and your fingerprint lines as maximum representatives of your true being, it is your original and unalterable portrait. The forms are given by your fingerprint and colors by your temperament.
“PURSUIT OF IDENTITY (VERUM)”
“TEMPERAMENTS (VERUM)”
“THE GIRL (BONUM)”
“PINOCCHIO (BONUM)”
“HUMMINGBIRDS (PULCHRUM)”
“NAUTILUS (PULCHRUM)”
“PARAMETRIC BEES (PULCHRUM)”
“UNUM”
“AUTORETRATO”
“RENÉ”
“PATY Y JAVIER (CORAZÓN)”
“YANG OPUESTO”
“PASION CONCRETO”
