Nov.-Dec. 2011 - Maryland Institute College of Art

22 ALUMNI
Geographic Spotlight: Southern California
the southern California art sCene has no shortage of talent—after all, there’s a reason Los Angeles is often referred
to as “the Creative Capital of the World,” while San Diego has long been known as a vibrant cultural destination. Since
many MICA alumni seek out the West Coast after graduation, President Fred Lazarus IV and Director of Parent and Alumni
Relations David Hart traveled to Southern California this past June, where they were welcomed into the homes, studios, and
businesses of alumni to see where their East Coast education has taken them.
Juan f. bastos ’83
Alumnus Creates Connections Through Portraiture
“At 10 years old I posed for my first portrait, and since then I’ve always felt the illusion of a likeness on
paper or on canvas was something almost magical,” said Juan F. Bastos, a 1983 graduate and portrait
artist living in Los Angeles. With an impressive list of portraits that includes Charlize Theron, Susan
Sontag, Tennessee Williams, Sir Ian McKellen, Gore Vidal, and Don Bachardy—plus several hundred
commissions hanging in private homes, corporate offices, government buildings, embassies, libraries,
churches, and universities, including Harvard and USC—it comes as no surprise that Bastos takes pride in
his ability to make connections.
“It’s an interesting profession, being a portrait artist…it is about establishing a relationship with
a family or an institution,” Bastos said. “I am very fortunate to have the talent that I do but also to
have the social skills to maintain relationships,” he added.
Born in Venezuela to an expatriate Bolivian family, Bastos shares the same philosophy on social
interactions as his grandfather, who was a Bolivian government minister and ambassador. “He could
talk to the gardener or talk to the president with the same kindness and the same kind of respect,”
Bastos said.
Bastos, who also creates representational art that utilizes mythology and symbolism, says
his time at MICA was essential for his formulation as an artist. He is currently excited about his
new book, The Art of Juan F. Bastos. Any client can order the art book with the portrait they
commissioned on the cover, allowing Bastos to receive more exposure. “Sometimes the portrait is in
a client’s bedroom, and very few people see it. But the coffee table book remains in the library or in
the family room so then there is more of a chance guests will ask to see the portrait.”
“It’s the process of a lifetime,” Bastos said of portraiture. “You always learn, no matter how old you are.”
dena robertson ’94
Alumna Preserves Memories Through Quality Books
While studying painting at MICA, Dena Robertson ’94 fell in love with a student at The Johns
Hopkins University named Robert Greenberg. Two years after graduating, the couple was married—
but Robertson was having trouble finding the perfect album to display the couple’s wedding images.
“I really wanted something that was unique and special and that had more of a fine art
presentation,” Robertson said. For months, she poured her heart into researching and creating an
elegant, museum-quality book for the photographs. The result was an album made with exquisite Swiss
ribbons, luxurious Japanese bookbinding fabrics, and papers repurposed from a mill on the East Coast
that became the prototype for Cypress Fine Handmade Albums and Boxes.
Today, Cypress employs 12 artisans who work round-the-clock to create intimate, personal
albums. Robertson, who lives in Los Angeles with her husband and three children, said the
6,000-square-foot bindery where she works and keeps a studio offers the perfect creative
environment for her. “Everyone who works here is also a painter, or graphic designer, or some kind
of artist. We really feed off of each other,” Robertson said.
Of her time at MICA, Robertson said, “It was such an amazing experience for me; I think about it all
the time. It has led me to where I’m at right now.“
Juan F. Bastos, Gore Vidal, pastel, 2006. “A number of Juan Bastos’
portraits remind me of John Singer Sargent,” said Gore Vidal, noted
American author.
Cypress Fine Handmade Albums and Boxes. (Photo by Yvette
Roman Photography)