Vasco Diogo: Blurring Boundaries Between Art, Life, and the Subconscious

Vasco Diogo’s work unfolds in a liminal space between the conscious and the subconscious, between the known and the unknown, where the fluid boundaries of art and life are continually being tested. With a deep sense of improvisation and an intuitive approach, Vasco Diogo draws from a wide array of influences, including experimental cinema, video art, and performance art. His creations, both in video form and in mixed media, possess an elemental, raw, and sometimes even primal spirit, while simultaneously engaging with complex theoretical concepts surrounding medium specificity and technological co-creation. Vasco Diogo’s ability to navigate this balance makes his art a continuous dialogue between form and content, between thought and feeling.

One of the most striking aspects of Vasco Diogo’s practice is his deep reliance on intuition and improvisation. His creative process resembles a form of artistic improvisation that speaks to his philosophy of “expanded consciousness.” In works like "Missing Meaning" and "Something I Do Not Want", this improvisation manifests in the interplay of image, space, and time. These pieces blur the lines between the familiar and the abstract, offering the viewer a space to engage with what Vasco Diogo refers to as "real irreality." In "Ghost Series", Vasco Diogo's layering of ethereal, spectral figures against natural backgrounds presents an eerie, almost supernatural aesthetic. These ghostly apparitions seem to be caught in a liminal zone between life and death, presence and absence. The blurring of boundaries here mirrors his improvisational technique, where moments of clarity and uncertainty coexist, inviting the audience to question their perception of reality.

In works like "Anima", Vasco Diogo’s use of improvisation allows for a deep exploration of the subconscious. The figures and forms in this piece appear dreamlike, as though they are the manifestations of the artist’s internal psyche. The viewer is invited to join Vasco Diogo on a journey through his subconscious, where fragmented memories, emotions, and ideas coalesce into something deeply personal, yet universally relatable. In this way, Vasco Diogo’s art functions as a conduit for personal introspection, but it is also open-ended enough to allow for multiple interpretations, depending on the viewer's own experiences and perceptions.

Vasco Diogo’s work frequently explores the intersection of the body and technology, a theme that he engages with both as an artist and an academic. His art delves into the ways in which technological processes shape artistic creation and mediate our experience of the world. This is particularly evident in his "STUDIO COMPOSITION" series, where the performative aspect of his work is intertwined with video manipulation. Diogo uses technology not just as a tool, but as an active participant in the creation of the work—what he calls “co-creative determination.” This concept suggests that the medium itself has agency, shaping the final product in ways that are not always under the artist’s control.

Vasco Diogo’s use of the body in his work adds another layer of complexity to his exploration of medium specificity. In performances like “Body Drawings” and “Cervical Kid”, the artist’s body becomes a canvas, literally engaging with the medium in a physical sense. The act of painting on the body, while simultaneously filming the process, blurs the boundaries between the artist, the artwork, and the medium. The viewer becomes aware of the dual nature of the body in this work—as both subject and object, as both creator and creation. The body is not merely a passive receiver of the paint but is actively involved in the creative process, adding another dimension to Vasco Diogo’s exploration of the body as language.

A recurrent theme in Vasco Diogo’s work is the blurring of boundaries between art and life. This is evident in his improvisational approach, where the spontaneous and the structured collide. Diogo’s work often seems to defy categorization, refusing to adhere to strict boundaries between art forms. Whether through performance, video, or mixed media, Diogo embraces a hybridization of disciplines, creating a fluid, dynamic space where art and life interact.

His piece "Magic Mirror" exemplifies this merging of art and reality. In this video art installation, Vasco Diogo uses mirrors as both a literal and metaphorical device, reflecting not just the physical world but the inner emotional landscapes of those who engage with it. The mirror becomes a portal between different dimensions, challenging the viewer to question what is real and what is a projection. The piece plays with the idea of self-reflection, both in a literal sense and a deeper, existential one, asking us to consider the ways in which we are shaped by our perceptions of ourselves and others.

Vasco Diogo’s "Ghost Series" also explores the intersection of art and life in a deeply personal way. The ghostly figures that haunt the natural landscapes in these works are representations of the invisible forces that shape our lives—memories, fears, desires, and dreams. The ghosts are both part of the landscape and separate from it, just as we are part of the world but also distinct from it. Through this series, Vasco Diogo invites the viewer to reflect on the ways in which we are haunted by our pasts and how these invisible forces continue to shape our present experiences.

Despite the serious and sometimes philosophical nature of his work, Vasco Diogo brings a lightness and sense of humor to his artistic practice. This balance of conceptual depth and playful experimentation is one of the defining characteristics of his art. In works like "Open", Vasco Diogo uses neon signs and skull imagery to create a playful, tongue-in-cheek commentary on mortality and consumer culture. The skull, a traditional memento mori symbol, is rendered in neon lights, transforming it into a contemporary icon of pop culture. This juxtaposition of old and new, of high art and popular culture, is a recurring theme in Vasco Diogo’s work, as he plays with the expectations of the viewer and the conventions of art history.

Similarly, in his "Animated Drawings", Diogo combines simple, almost childlike sketches with complex philosophical ideas about time, space, and perception. The drawings, though whimsical and playful, carry an underlying depth that speaks to Vasco Diogo’s ability to engage with serious concepts through humor and improvisation. The simple, black-and-white sketches feel primitive and raw, yet they are filled with intricate details that reveal themselves upon closer inspection. This balance of simplicity and complexity, humor and seriousness, is one of the key strengths of Vasco Diogo’s work, making it accessible while still intellectually engaging.

Vasco Diogo’s work is marked by a careful attention to composition, color, and form. While his process is often improvisational, there is a clear sense of structure and rhythm in his work. In pieces like "Anima" and "Ghost Series", Vasco Diogo uses a muted color palette, allowing the forms and figures to take center stage. The subdued colors create a dreamlike, almost ethereal atmosphere, where the boundaries between the real and the unreal are blurred. The figures in these works appear to be suspended in time and space, existing in a liminal zone where past, present, and future converge.

In contrast, pieces like "Open" and "Paint on Paint" use bright, bold colors to create a sense of immediacy and urgency. The neon lights in "Open" draw the viewer in, creating a visual spectacle that is both engaging and thought-provoking. The bright colors in "Paint on Paint" are used in a more tactile way, with the paint becoming a physical presence that interacts with the body of the artist. Vasco Diogo’s use of color is always intentional, whether to create a sense of calm and introspection or to provoke a visceral, emotional response.

Vasco Diogo’s work is an exploration of the unknown, a journey through the subconscious, where intuition, improvisation, and chance play a central role. His ability to navigate the space between art and life, between the conscious and the subconscious, makes his work deeply personal and universally relatable. Through his use of technology, the body, and a playful sense of humor, Vasco Diogo invites the viewer to question their own perceptions of reality and to engage with the world in new, unexpected ways. His art is a reflection of the flux of life itself—constantly shifting, evolving, and expanding. Through his exploration of "real irreality," Vasco Diogo reminds us that the boundaries between art and life are not fixed, but fluid, and that it is through this fluidity that we can find new ways of seeing and being in the world.

www.vascodiogo.com

Vasco Diogo

Dr Lowly (Low Lee Yong)

Felix Zilinskas