Gerardo Camargo Transforms Construction Waste into Art in Kensington Studio

In the 335th installment of Hyperallergic's 'A View From the Easel' series, artist Gerardo Camargo discusses his basement studio in Kensington, Maryland, where he has worked for six years. Camargo draws inspiration from Latino immigrant communities and repurposes discarded construction materials, avoiding traditional art supplies. His studio is divided into three areas: a dusty power tools room, a 2D art and framing area, and an assembling/gallery space. He listens to Spanish and English news podcasts, along with cumbia, folk, and rancheras music, and researches Mesoamerican codexes, myths, and gods. His wife, also an artist, shares the home studio and provides feedback. Camargo cites the Hirshhorn Museum and the American Visionary Art Museum in Baltimore as favorite local museums.