Juan Carlos Pinto

Juan Carlos Pinto (b. 1968) is an artist and art historian originally from Guatemala. Pinto is currently living and working in New York City, and making Brooklyn his home for the past 12 years. He often focuses on public artworks and creates with materials that have a universal familiarity or common usage element to them. His artwork portrays progressive ideas and revolution towards issues such as human and animal rights, environmental preservation, and the empowerment of minorities. 

Pinto’s works include MetroCard Art, Mosaics, and Paintings. He utilizes materials and styles such as abstract painting, tile work, wood work, and stencil spray. Most of the media we see in his artworks employ salvaged materials such as glass and biodegradable plastic, a significant component of his pieces. His legacy, as he sees it, is to be known as an artist who demands a Green Revolution. Notably, his MetroCard Art draws on the visual grammar of New York City’s subway system. As a response to the criminalization of churro vendors and the uptick in daily fair, Pinto’s collages give a new, historical meaning to the metro cards that he cuts up to create striking mosaics. Pinto’s art exudes confidence, energy, and challenge. It draws the viewer into a contrasting world of playfulness and social responsibility. 

Pinto exhibits his work at Van Der Plas Gallery and Bishop on Bedford in New York City.