Every Issue Reborn: Explore Our Archive . Issue 5
In Issue 5, Horacio Quiroz: Beauty vs. Grotesque
Based in Mexico City, artist Horacio Quiroz began his professional career after several years working in the advertising industry. In 2013, he embarked on a self-taught painting practice that marked a decisive shift toward a deeply personal artistic exploration centered on the human condition.
His work functions as an intimate reflection of his psychological and therapeutic evolution, using painting as a means to investigate the body beyond its physiological function. He conceives the body as an emotional vessel that contains our complete temporal and spiritual history, and as a mechanism through which matter and space are perceived, allowing humanity to experience itself.
Rooted in the conviction that everything that exists manifests through duality, his practice examines opposing forces such as day and night, good and evil, feminine and masculine, love and fear. These polarities, often taken for granted, constitute essential components of reality and are expressed in his work as a single dynamic unity embodied in flesh.
Beginning with the body’s emotional fluctuations, he explores the oscillation between love and fear as primary and antagonistic vital forces. The human figure becomes a tool to represent the constant movement of reality, allowing for the incarnation of mutant emotions through the creation of impossible anatomies—forms that function as visual x-rays of lived experiences accumulated throughout personal evolution.
His painting also navigates the tensions between the aesthetic and the non-aesthetic, allowing both to counterbalance one another. Within this space, the beautiful and the grotesque coexist, generating a visual language that probes the fragile boundaries between attraction and discomfort. His prominent feature in Issue 5 of The Guide Artists Magazine (July 2017) marked a pivotal moment in his career, consolidating this period as an editorial affirmation of his artistic vision and projecting his work to an international audience attentive to emerging voices in contemporary painting.
Fresh Voices, New Edition
Horacio Quiroz: From Cover Feature to
In-Depth Interview in Issue 5
In July 2017, Horacio Quiroz was featured on the cover of Issue 5 of The Guide Artists Magazine, solidifying his presence within the international contemporary art scene. The same issue included an exclusive interview, in which the artist shared his vision on painting, the body, and the dualities that permeate his work.
Based in Mexico City, Quiroz developed a self-taught painting practice beginning in 2013, following several years in the advertising industry. His work emerges as a reflection of his personal and emotional evolution, exploring the human body as a space where memory, experience, and emotion converge. For him, painting becomes a medium to express the tensions between opposing forces: the beautiful and the grotesque, love and fear, light and shadow.
The interview in Issue 5 offered readers insight into the ideas behind his impossible anatomies and his distinctive approach to representing reality, in which emotions materialize visually as x-rays of human experience. This editorial recognition not only highlights his unique artistic voice but also projects his work to an international audience eager to engage with emerging and transformative voices in contemporary painting.
A Closer Look
We are excited to present exclusive interviews with Patricia Sánchez Saiffe and Horacio Quiroz, offering readers a unique glimpse into the minds behind their outstanding work. These conversations revealed the motivations, experiments, and artistic philosophies that guided their practice, providing a deeper understanding of the forces shaping their creative trajectories.
This issue also highlights the Artist of the Month, Phil Hale, whose work captivates with its intensity, precision, and emotional resonance. Additionally, we are proud to feature Jeremy Geddes in the Featured in the Guide section, alongside Susannah Martin, Amanda Greive, Jose Insunza, Tomohiro Takagi, Sara Vidigal, and Virginie Mazureau—artists whose distinctive voices and innovative approaches have contributed to the richness and evolution of contemporary art.
Curated to celebrate both emerging and established talents, this edition invites readers to explore new perspectives, bold narratives, and innovative ideas. Together, these artists form a dynamic and inspiring collection, reflecting the diversity, energy, and creativity that defined the contemporary art landscape at that moment.
JEREMY GEDDES . THE GUIDE ARTISTS MAGAZINE ISSUE 5
Artist of the Month
Artist of the Month
PHIL HALE . THE GUIDE ARTISTS MAGAZINE ISSUE 5
Phil Hale
The paroxysmal thinking
Phil Hale (born 1963, Boston, Massachusetts) is an American artist renowned for his bold and dynamic figurative paintings. Surrounded by artists from an early age, Hale developed a unique style that blends surrealism, fantasy, and hyper-realistic depictions of parallel worlds. His compositions range from chaotic, whirlwind scenes to solitary, semi-human portraits in unsettling landscapes, creating visually striking works that both disturb and captivate viewers.
Hale’s illustrations have been commissioned by figures such as Stephen King, DC Comics, and Tony Blair, and his work has been exhibited widely across the USA and Europe. Most recently, he presented his solo show Life Wants to Live at Jonathan LeVine Gallery, New York (2015), and co-founded the analogue filmmaking company Unprofessional.com with his son, Callum Hale Thompson. He currently lives and works in the UK.
INTERVIEWS
INTERVIEWS
Featured Artists
Featured Artists
Best Arts Books
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