The Guadalajara Reporter

Acclaimed Mexican artist explains his vision at Book Fair spin-off

In most minds, the spotlight at the Guadalajara International Book Fair (FIL) is focused pretty narrowly on — what else? — books. So what were a bunch of art historians, art critics and gallery owners plus luminary artist Santiago Carbonell, who some call the best known painter living in Mexico, doing here this week? 

The answer has to do with the sheer presence that the FIL has achieved. 

Carbonell travels widely seeking inspiration for his hyperrealistic art. “Artists are the journalists of our times,” he quipped. “I always have my suitcase ready to travel.” 

But this trip involved only the distance from his home in Queretaro to Guadalajara and the purpose was a relatively tame interlude of professional fraternization. At a conference of the International Association of Art Critics, which piggybacked on the FIL, Carbonell gave a talk on the relationship between artist and critic.

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