"Jessie" M. Montes

"Jessie" M. Montes
January 14 - February 8, 2001

Artist: "Jessie" M. Montes

Jessie Montes' work was featured in Art and Antiques magazine. He is a self-taught artist originally from rural Mexico, who lived in Garden City, Kansas at that time. Montes' three-dimensional pieces are made totally of corrugated cardboard but sometimes have the appearance of wood. They vary from small plaques of unusual designs to free standing pieces of various dimensions up to six feet tall. He began his work making picture frames which he filled with landscapes, designs and portraits. Many of his pieces feature buildings or areas with doors or windows in the surface of the work. With the background painted, these often appear to be lit from within, adding to the mystique of the art.

Montes' art is being sold in New York by long-time gallery owner, Phyllis Kind, who says: "Every work of his most assuredly bears his signature. In fact, I would suggest that Montes has invented his own vocabulary of visual form. The most impelling, single aspect of his work is that his brilliant and unmistakable work is significant, inventive and wholly his own. The work is totally consistent but also has incredible range. His is my definition of what great art is and I believe that Jesus (Jessie) Montes is a great artist!"

The inspiration for Montes' artwork comes from different sources, including his ethnic background, family and real life experiences, photographs and his imagination. He categorizes his artistic technique as "developing his own picture puzzles" and is pleased that the public likes his work.
The inspiration for Montes' artwork comes from different sources, including his ethnic background, family and real life experiences, photographs and his imagination. The landscape pieces reflect his love of nature and the land, stemming from the topography of his childhood. He categorizes his artistic technique as "developing his own picture puzzles" and is pleased that the public likes his work.