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Revision as of 04:57, 18 August 2024

Elliot & Erick Jiménez

File:Chanel x Tribeca EE.jpg
Elliot & Erick Jiménez at the Tribeca Film Festival, 2024.

Elliot and Erick Jiménez (born 1989 in Miami) are first-generation Cuban-American identical twins and a visual artist duo working at the intersection of contemporary art and fashion. Best known for their innovative work in photography, they frequently employ experimental approaches, creating works that encompass installations, mixed media, and printmaking methods. Their work typically challenges the traditional boundaries of photography, blurring the line between painting and photographic imagery. In 2023, they photographed Bad Bunny for the historic cover of Time magazine's one hundred year anniversary, which was the publication's first-ever edition in Spanish[1].

Early life

The twin brothers were born and raised in Miami by Cuban immigrants, specifically by their paternal grandparents who adopted them at a young age, playing a significant role in their upbringing[2]. At the age of 15, while attending Southwest Miami Senior High, they both took a film photography course that sparked their passion for the medium. After two years of diligently pursuing this course, their grandmother saved up enough money to buy them their first professional camera––a gesture that marked a turning point in their journey.

Though they initially worked separately, always assisting each other on individual projects, it wasn't until they turned 19 that they officially began collaborating as a duo. By the time they graduated high school, they were already photographing for local publications and modeling agencies. After gaining a few years of commercial experience while studying graphic design, they made the decision to move to New York to pursue their dreams.

Artwork, style and influences

La Grande Odalisque by Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres, 1814.

The duo's art practice began with an early fascination for art history and influences from their upbringing steeped in the mysticism of gods in mythology, Yoruba, and Catholic syncretic elements, all of which are central to the Cuban folkloric culture known as Lucumí. Raised by their Afro-Cuban grandmother, they inherited much of their culture's oral traditions from her. While they initially entered photography through fashion, their work naturally moved toward the more creative aspects of image-making, often pushing the boundaries of the medium.

File:OdalisbyEE.jpg
The Grand Odalisque by Elliot & Erick Jiménez, 2022.

Inspired by paintings, their work captures the ephemeral nature of light and color through experimental camera techniques, staging, and compositions that render their subjects with a painterly quality. Elliot & Erick's artwork bridges the unique culture of Lucumí within Cuban spirituality and Western art traditions. In their compositions, they infuse shadowy figures and floral offerings with rich symbolism, portraying them as elusive entities. Stylistically, the florals in their work often reference impressionist painters like Claude Monet and Odilon Redon, while their figures frequently reappropriate paintings by old masters, such as Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres' La Grande Odalisque or Jan van Eyck's Portrait of a Man. The shadowy figures they depict, once hidden out of fear of persecution, now serve as powerful symbols that seamlessly integrate the duo’s personal narratives into this cultural framework.

Viewers are often surprised to learn that their work, which might not initially seem like photographs, are in fact meticulously staged scenes using costumes, set design, and body makeup. These are then further enhanced with paint, collage, and printing on various substrates to achieve the final result. Visually, their work has drawn comparisons to artists like Kerry James Marshall, Gerhard Richter, and Zanele Muholi, yet they credit much of their inspiration to the late Cuban artist Belkis Ayón, known for her collography. Like Ayón’s figures, Elliot & Erick’s remain anonymous, however, for them, this is a reflection on the history of how Lucumí has existed in Cuban society––in the shadows.

Chanel

In 2024 the Jiménez brothers were selected by Chanel and the Tribeca Film Festival for the 19th annual Chanel Artist Award program[3], alongside Jenny Holzer, Glenn Ligon, Deborah Kass, Joiri Minaya, José Parlá, Juliana Huxtable, and Tourmaline.

Public art

For Art Basel Miami 2023, they created their first public art project in collaboration with LVMH for Miami Design District[4]. The project, which consisted of a site specific billboard that spans 100 linear feet, depicts a shadow figure of a reclining mermaid, representing Yemaya, with thousands of iridescent sequins hand sewn across the tail.

Fashion work

File:TIM230410 BadBunny-Cover.jpg
Bad Bunny for the cover of Time magazine by Elliot & Erick Jiménez.

Elliot and Erick Jiménez began their journey in photography through fashion before expanding into contemporary art. Much like their artwork, their fashion photography reflects a painterly quality and features bold color compositions. They also experiment with various camera and darkroom techniques to achieve this effect. They have collaborated with a number of brands and publications, including Hermès, Gucci[5], Christopher John Rogers, Time, and Vogue, along with celebrities like Bad Bunny and Selena Gomez[6].

In 2023 they made editorial history when they photographed Bad Bunny for the cover of TIME's centennial issue[1], which was the publications first ever Spanish cover. During the photoshoot, the duo also made the decision that the musician should wear a Latino designer for this cover and selected a piece from then emerging Chicano brand Willy Chavarria, making Bad Bunny the first major celebrity to wear the label.

Exhibitions, collections, and honors

The Jiménez's work has been exhibited in the United States and Europe in both solo and group exhibitions, including museum exhibitions. Notable exhibitions include their first solo show titled Entre Dos Mundos[7] at Spinello Projects (2022), along with a solo presentation at the 25th edition of Paris Photo (2022), followed by a solo presentation at Photofairs New York (2023)[8], including group exhibitions at the Bass Museum[9], The Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth and the Orlando Museum of Art[10]; all between 2022-2024.

Their participation in the group exhibition titled Surrealism and Us: Caribbean and African Diasporic Artists since 1940[11] (2024) at The Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth was the first intergenerational exhibition of its kind in the history of the institution, which included Elliot & Erick Jiménez, Wangechi Mutu, Ana Mendieta, Belkis Ayón, Wifredo Lam, Kerry James Marshall, Nick Cave, Firelei Báez, Kara Walker and Arthur Jafa.

The Jiménez's work is in the permanent collection of Beth Rudin DeWoody's the Bunker Artspace and the Orlando Museum of Art[12].

They have also received awards including The Ellies Creator Award, the Miami Individual Artist Award, The Florida Prize in Contemporary Art Award, The South Arts Award[13], and The Latin American Fashion Award for Best Emerging Photographer[14]; all between 2022-2024.

Books

Surrealism and Us: Caribbean and African Diasporic Artists since 1940 ISBN 978-1636811284

References

  1. ^ a b Chow, Andrew R.; Espada, Mariah (2023-03-28). "Bad Bunny's Next Move". TIME. Retrieved 2024-08-17.
  2. ^ Fraga, Jesse. "Twins Elliot and Erick Jiménez Visualize Santería with "Entre Dos Mundos" at Spinello Projects". Miami New Times. Retrieved 2024-08-17.
  3. ^ "Tribeca Festival and Chanel Unveil 2024 Artist Awards Program Participants". Tribeca. Retrieved 2024-08-17.
  4. ^ "Elliot & Erick Jiménez: Reclining Mermaid, 2023 | Miami Design District". www.miamidesigndistrict.com. Retrieved 2024-08-17.
  5. ^ Nonino, Chiara Bardelli (2022-11-18). "Elliot e Erick Jiménez per Gucci Beauty". Vogue Italia (in Italian). Retrieved 2024-08-17.
  6. ^ Feldman, Lucy (2024-05-29). "Selena Gomez Is Revolutionizing the Celebrity Beauty Business". TIME. Retrieved 2024-08-17.
  7. ^ "Entre Dos Mundos Exhibition Overview.pdf". Google Docs. Retrieved 2024-08-17.
  8. ^ "Spinello Projects in PHOTOFAIRS NY x Elliot & Erick Jiménez". us2.campaign-archive.com. Retrieved 2024-08-17.
  9. ^ "Open Storage .pdf". Google Docs. Retrieved 2024-08-17.
  10. ^ "A Mother, Possibly". omart.org. Retrieved 2024-08-17.
  11. ^ "Surrealism and Us: Caribbean and African Diasporic Artists since 1940 | Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth". www.themodern.org. Retrieved 2024-08-17.
  12. ^ "Orlando Museum of Art acquires work from Florida Prize finalists, offers program for visually impaired". Orlando Sentinel. 2023-09-12. Retrieved 2024-08-17.
  13. ^ "Elliott and Erick Jimenez | South Arts". www.southarts.org. Retrieved 2024-08-17.
  14. ^ "ELLIOT AND ERICK". Latin American Fashion Awards. Retrieved 2024-08-17.

Further reading

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