Boris Vallejo and his fantastic worlds
The Peruvian artist Boris Vallejo is among the most recognizable contemporary painters. Although many may disagree with this. The fact is that the master has so many followers that it is becoming increasingly difficult to distinguish the master's works from the paintings of his students. In our country, it is often argued how the artist's name is read: Vallejo, Valeggio and Valeggio. We hasten to reassure the most meticulous — according to the rules of transcription of the Spanish language, all three versions have the right to life.
Boris Vallejo was born on January 8, 1941 in Lima, the capital of Peru. He began to draw in the lower grades of school, and by the end of it he firmly knew that he would become an artist. Therefore, Vallejo graduated from the National School of Arts, so successfully that he received a grant. The state paid for the talented young man's further education in Italy, in Florence.
But Vallejo, quite unexpectedly, refused to travel to Europe. Instead, he went to the USA with $80 in his pocket. The artist believed that his talent would be in demand there and was not mistaken. In a foreign land, Boris got a job as a decorator, and for some time he worked for a very modest salary. But there is no hiding the awl in the bag and soon about the artist from Peru started talking.
Employers began vying to offer Vallejo places in publishing houses and studios. He could choose the best and began to earn well. But the most pleasant thing was that, working in a solid company, Boris could not think about material things and in his spare time he created for the soul. The Vallejo that the whole world knows today did not appear immediately. The artist tried different styles and directions until he developed his own, special manner.
The men in Boris Vallejo's paintings are always muscular, and the women are fit and sexy. Often the plots are connected with battles in which the heroes are opposed by people, monsters or even gods. The artist is very prolific and, despite his advanced age, continues to create, surprising fans with new works.
Boris Vallejo is considered one of the founders of the fantasy genre in the visual arts. A generation of younger artists, for example, the American Michael S., looks up to him. Hayes. Vallejo's paintings adorn albums of popular rock bands, books by famous authors, posters are created from them.