Jose Alvarez (D.O.P.A.)
Dragon Hunter #18, 2023
Acrylic, ink, colored pencil, feathers, crystals, quills and collage on archival Hahnemühle museum paper.
21 x 16 1/2 in (53.3 x 41.9 cm)
Jose Alvarez (D.O.P.A.)
Song of Freedom (Daniela García, The Light Within You), 2022
Feathers, ink, colored pencil and collage on mica on wood panel.
48 x 36 x 1 in (121.9 x 91.4 x 2.5 cm)
Jose Alvarez (D.O.P.A.): A Wondrous North Star
Installation View, GAVLAK Palm Beach, 2021
Photography by Zachary Balber
Jose Alvarez (D.O.P.A.): A Wondrous North Star
Installation View, GAVLAK Palm Beach, 2021
Photography by Zachary Balber
Jose Alvarez (D.O.P.A.): A Wondrous North Star
Installation View, GAVLAK Palm Beach, 2021
Photography by Zachary Balber
Jose Alvarez (D.O.P.A.): A Wondrous North Star
Installation View, GAVLAK Palm Beach, 2021
Photography by Zachary Balber
Jose Alvarez (D.O.P.A.): A Wondrous North Star
Installation View, GAVLAK Palm Beach, 2021
Photography by Zachary Balber
The artist at his exhibition, A Wondrous North Star, GAVLAK Palm Beach, 2021.
b. 1961, Venezuela
Lives and works in South Florida
Born Deyvi Orangel Peña Arteaga, using his moniker Jose Alvarez (D.O.P.A.), creates paintings/collages on mica, videos, installations, and performances, through which he breaks down belief systems into intersecting components of science, spirituality, and mysticism. His works burst with psychedelic patterns, colors, lush floral imagery and traditional shamanic materials such as crystals and porcupine quills. They appear as hallucinatory portals into other realms, or send-ups of them—depending on the viewer’s perspective. He began his career through charismatic performances where he “channeled” the 2,000-year-old spirit of a shaman named Carlos. In front of live audiences around the world, Carlos’ performances and media broadcasts have been viewed by millions of people in the United States, China, Australia, Europe, and South America.
Alvarez (D.O.P.A.) has performed and exhibited at the Whitney Museum of American Art, The Kitchen in New York, NASA Johnson Space Flight Center, Parkes Radio Telescope in Australia, Gavlak Gallery in Los Angeles and Palm Beach, Marlborough Gallery in New York, The Moore Space in Miami, Ratio 3 in San Francisco, Jeffrey Deitch in New York, the Yerba Buena Center for The Art in San Francisco, The Norton Museum of Art in West Palm Beach, Taubman Museum of Art in Roanoke, Beth Rudin DeWoody’s The Bunker Artspace in West Palm Beach, The Kemper Art Museum in Kansas City, The Drawing Center in New York and the San Antonio Museum of Art in San Antonio, Texas, among others. In 2020, he was included in A Very Anxious Feeling: Voices of Unrest in the American Experience at the Taubman Museum of Art, he created for the Sarasota Art Museum, an impressive 10.5 × 78 foot vinyl mural, his largest vinyl mural to date, he was included in a group presentation by GAVLAK at The Armory Show as well as creating his largest painting to date, The Life Within You, a 9’ L × 24' W tour de force for The Core Club in NYC.
If a new year ushers in a restored resolve to visit Palm Beach County’s artistic havens, visit the three new exhibitions at the Norton Museum of Art.
Artist José Alvarez (D.O.P.A.) talks about the 30 portraits he drew while detained at the Krome Detention Center in Miami. The drawings, accompanied by each subject's story, are on view at the Boca Raton Museum of Art.
Detention, deportation, refugee, criminal, other: these are terms that have blanketed the news in the last few years, and are thematically central to a solo exhibition by Jose Alvarez (D.O.P.A.) at Gavlak Los Angeles. Alvarez, who lives in South Florida, came to the United States from Venezuela in the 1980s to escape persecution as a gay man.
If you’ve ever had your portrait drawn, you know how disconcerting the experience can be. In a compelling show of 28 portrait drawings by Miami-based Venezuelan artist Jose Alvarez at Gavlak Gallery, it resonates on multiple levels.
Jose Alvarez Continues Exploring the Transformative Power of Art
EDUCATION
1995 School of Visual Arts
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2021 Jose Alvarez (D.O.P.A.): A Wondrous North Star, Gavlak, Palm Beach, FL
Jose Alvarez (D.O.P.A.): The Krome Drawings, Norton Museum of Art, West Palm Beach, FL
2019 The Promised Land, Gavlak, Los Angeles, CA
2016 The Awakening, Gavlak, West Palm Beach, FL
Krome, Boca Raton Musem of Art, Boca Raton, FL
2015 We're All Made of Star Stuff, GAVLAK, Los Angeles, CA
As Far As the I Can See, Art and Culture Center of Hollywood, Hollywood, FL
2011 The Science of Complexity, Gavlak, West Palm Beach, FL
2010 Surfaces of Constant Time, Ratio 3, San Francisco, CA
2009 Restoring Balance, Gavlak New York, NY
2008 Art Basel Miami Beach, Art Supernova, Gavlak, Miami Beach, FL
Constantly Expanding, The Moore Space, Miami, FL
The Golden Butterfly, Gavlak, West Palm Beach, FL
2007 The Visitors, The Kitchen, New York, NY
2005 Looking for Ixtlan, Ratio 3, San Francisco, CA
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2020 A Very Anxious Feeling: Voices of Unrest in the American Experience, Taubman Museum of Art, Roanoke, VA
Summer Group Exhibition, Gavlak, Palm Beach, FL
The Armory Show, GAVLAK Booth 906, March 5-8, 2020, New York, NY
2019 The Pencil is a Key, Drawings from Incarcerated Artists, The Drawing Center, New York, NY
Inner Space/Outer Space, The Bunker Artspace, West Palm Beach, FL
Inaugural Exhibition, Gavlak, Los Angeles, CA
2017 Not I, We, Gavlak, Los Angeles, CA
2015 Beauty Reigns: A Baroque Sensibility in Recent Painting, Akron Art Museum, Akron, OH
2014 Inaugural Exhibition, Gavlak, Los Angeles, CA
Beauty Reigns, McNay Art Museum, San Antonio, TX
2011 Altered States: Jose Alvarez, Yayoi Kusama, Fred Tomaselli, and Leo Villareal, curated by Cheryl Brutvan,
The Norton Museum of Art, West Palm Beach, FL
The Big Reveal, Kemper Museum, St. Louis, MO
2010 Natural Renditions, Marlborough Gallery, New York City, NY
Illusions Lounge, David Castillo Gallery, Miami, FL
Think Pink, curated by Beth DeWoody, Gavlak, Palm Beach, FL
You Can Heal Your Life, curated by Emma Gray, Circus Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
2009 Abstract Cinema, curated by Bonnie Clearwater, Museum of Contemporary Art, North Miami, FL
Video installation, Elie Tahari, Bal Harbour, FL
2008 CIRCA, Gavlak, San Juan, Puerto Rico
2007 Special Reserve, Gavlak, West Palm Beach, FL
2006 Constant Disturbance, Spanish Cultural Center, Miami, FL
Mélange, Gavlak, West Palm Beach, FL
Cosmic Wonder, Yerba Buena Center For The Arts, San Francisco, CA
2005 NADA Art Fair, Ratio3, Miami, FL
AQUA Art Fair, Western Project, Miami, FL
The Hills Have Eyes, curated by Gean Moreno, Ingalls & Associates, Miami, FL
ARTLA, Western Projects, Los Angeles, CA
2004 Nepotism: The Art of Friendship, Museum of Fort Lauderdale, Fort Lauderdale, FL
Beginning Here: 101 Ways, Visual Arts Gallery, New York City – curated by Jerry Saltz
Ratio 3: NADA Art Fair, Miami, FL
2003 We Are Electric, Deitch Projects, New York, NY
2002 All The Way Alive. Ratio 3, The Armory Photography Show 2002, New York, NY
Biennial Exhibition. Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, NYF
1999 Inbox. Quartet Editions, New York, NY
PERFORMANCES/MEDIA APPEARANCES
2006 "The Frank Prattle Show" Jose Alvarez, Chris Perez, and Kathy Grayson, July 15, 2006.
2005 "WPS1" Art radio, WPS1.org, Edition #15, May 31, 2005
"Carlos," Studio360, (show # 061105), NPR and WNYC, Studio360.org
2003 "En busca de un Milagro," Univision
"Sin Fronteras," Telemundo, Hispanic Television
2002 "Do You Believe in Miracles?" Chat TV, Mun2, Telemundo.
2001 Johnson Space Flight Center, Houston, July 23.
Parkes Radio Telescope Observatory, Parkes, Australia, August 21.
2000 Chinese Central Television, Beijing, October-November.
Jet Propulsion Lab, Pasadena, California, October 5.
"Tell It Like It Is," Chinese Central Television, Beijing, October-November.
"Despierta America," Telemundo, Hispanic Television.
WuhanTV, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China.
1999 "Primer Impacto," Univision, January.
Teatro Verdi, Padua, Italy, October 30-31.
Tienanmen Square, Beijing, November.
1998 "The Power of Belief," ABC News Special, October 6.
PRESS
2019 Zellen, Jody. “Gavlak Los Angeles: Jose Alvarez (D.O.P.A.)”, Artillery Magazine, August 7.
Knight, Christopher. “This Artist’s portrait subjects, Fellow asylum seekers in the detention center,” Los Angeles Times,
June 22.
Alvarez, Jose. Krome. 2019
2016 Uszerowicz, Monica. “While Held by US Immigration, an Artist Sketches His Fellow Detainees”, HyperAllergic, Dec. 8.
Thomason, John. “South Florida Artist Humanizes Illegal Immigration,” Boca Magazine, September 28.
Balter, Julie. “Artist Jose Alvarez (D.O.P.A.) Sketches Powerful Portraits that Represent Sacrifice.” Miami Herald, Dec.12.
Mason, Isabella. “Jose Alvarez DOPA’s ‘The Awakening’ at the Gavlak Gallery, Palm Beach, Florida,” Blouin Art Info,
November 28.
Félix, Melvin, “Undocumented artist draws portraits of detainees at Miami immigrant detention center,” Univision
News, Sept. 23.
Jordan, Calvin. “Boca Raton exhibit shines light on immigrant experience,” Palm Beach Post, October 25.
2015 Alexander, Brian. “Amazing Seniors Wow in New Documentaries,” USA Today, May 6.
“As Far as the I can See,” Art and Culture Center of Hollywood, March 27.
Sullivan, Terra. “’As Far as the I can See’ at Hollywood Art and Culture Explores the Space Between the Skeptical
and the Mystical,” Broward Palm Beach New Times, March 24.
2014 Higginbotham, Adam, “The Unbelievable Skepticism of the Amazing Randi,” The New York Times, November 7.
“Beauty Reigns,” The McNay Art Museum Moore Space, August 2014.
Shapiro-Sacks, Jennifer, “Funding Supports Cultural Offerings,” Sun Sentinel, July 24.
2011 PBG Lifestyle Magazine, July 2011.
Helander, Bruce. “Top Ten Artists to Watch”, Huffington Post Arts, June 27.
Bullock, Penn. “Altered States: Alvarez, Kusama, Tomaselli, and Villareal.” Boward Palm Beach New Times, June 18.
Thomason, John, “Get High on Art,” BocMag.com, May 25.
Eyman, Scott, “A Head Trip”, Palm Beach Post, May 15.
Alexander, Brian, “The Mystic Transformation of Jose Alvarez,” The Palm Beach Post, May 9.
Sjostrom, Jan, “Critics’ Picks of the Week,” Palm Beach Daily News, April 14.
Scorpio, Steven. “Altered States at the Norton,” Miami Art Exchange, April 11.
“Weekend Art Picks: April 8-12”, Palm Beach Arts Paper, April 8.
Helander, Bruce. “Norton Museum of Art’s New Altered States Exhibition is All About the Power of Art,”
Artdaily, April 3.
Sommereyns, Omar, “Transcendent Visions Artist Jose Alvarez continues exploring the transformative power of
art at two new exhibits this month,” Florida International Magazine, April 2011.
2008 Robinson, Walter, “Crisis, What Crisis?” Artnet, December 5.
“Art|Basel|Miami Beach 2008: Jose Alvarez,” Gavlak Press Release, November 30.
Herrera, Adrianna. El Nuevo Herald, May 25.
“Constantly Expanding,” Wynwood the Art Magazine, May.
Hudson, Suzanne. “The Kitchen,” Artforum, February.
“Jose Alvarez: ‘The Golden Butterfly,’” Gavlak Press Release, 2008.
“Heads In the Sand, Revelers Pilgrimage,” Flash Art, 2008.
Helander, Bruce, “Gavlak presents a solo exhibition of Jose Alvarez: ‘The Golden Butterfly,’” Huffington Post.
Santiago, Fabiola. The Miami Herald.
2007 Kunitz, Daniel, “Abuse Your Illusion,” The Village Voice, November 6.
Henry, Saxton. “Fair Report: Palm Beach 3 2007,” ArtInfo, January 15.
“First Gate,” Palm Beach Cottages & Gardens.
1995 Genoni, Thomas G. “Exploring Mind, Memory, and the Psychology of Belief,” Skeptical Inquirer, Jan/Feb 1995.
1994 Sagan, Carl. “Carlos,” Parade, December 4, 1994.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Black, Ezrha Jean, "Ten More to Remember-and Not Just Because...," Artillery Magazine, January 19, 2023
Gural, Natasha, "New Wave of Artists Transform The Palm Beaches Into Pioneering Art World Destination," Forbes, December 7, 2022
Bennett, Alexis, "For the First Time Ever," Palm Beach Hosted an amfAR Blowout, Vogue, November 22, 2022
Knight, Christopher. "This Artist's portrait ssubjects: Fellow asylum seekers in the detention center," Los Angeles Times 22 June 2019
Kunitz, Daniel. "Abuse Your Illusion," The Village Voice 13 Nov. 2007.
2002 Biennial Exhibition (exhibition catalogue). New York, Whitney Museum of American Art, 2002.
Carroll, Robert Todd. "Carlos", Skeptic's Dictionary, 2003.
Genoni, Tom, Jr. "Exploring Mind, Memory, and the Psychology of Belief." The Skeptical Inquirer Mar.-Apr. 1995: 10.
Kastner, Jeffrey. "Concerning the Spiritual in Art", Art Monthly May 2002: 6.
Leslie, Richard. "Whitney Biennial 2002," Art Nexus Jul. - Sept. 2002: 74.
Robinson, Walter. "Art Market Watch," Artnet Magazine News. http://www.artnet.com.
Sagan, Carl. "Carlos." Parade Magazine 4 Dec. 1994.
Saltz, Jerry. "American Bland Stand," Village Voice 7 Mar. 2002.
Wonder, Carolina. "Self Analysis", Lincoln Road Magazine Jul.- Sept. 2003: 67.
"Jose Alvarez: Exploring the Psychology of Belief Through Art", Broward County Cultural Quarterly Winter 2004.
Hobbs, Jack. The Visual Experience, 3rd ed, Worceter: Davis Publications, p10, 2004.
Orden, Abraham."The Carlos Cycle," Camerawork Fall/Winter 2005: 28.
"Artbeat", SF Weekly, Jul. - Aug 2005.
"Looking for Ixtlan", SFStation.com Jul. 2005.
"Miami Heat - day 4 & 5", ArtInfo.com 4 Dec. 2005.
"Cool Deals - day 2", ArtInfo.com, 1 Dec. 2005.
Moreno, Gean. "Constant Disturbance," (exhibition catalogue), Spanish Cultural Center, Miami, Florida ,p.29.
Moreno, Gean. "50 International Emerging Artists," Contemporary 2006 Annual: 27.
SFist, Shelley,"Whoa, man Cosmic Wonder opens at YBCA", 18 Jul. 2006.
"Home Fort Lauderdale", The Florida Room Oct. 2006: 50.
