Daniel Barojas (a.k.a. R5, Rope5) Born in Mexico City and now living in St. Petersburg, Florida.
Daniel works in various artistic mediums including painting, mixed media illustration, watercolor, graphic/product design, jewelry, photography and murals.
The creative works from the mind of Daniel Barojas seek to cultivate a visual world that is a brew of elements from traditional cultures, ancient mythologies and popular fables mixed with urban influences. Seeking a balance between the subject, and shapes, patterns or illusions, balanced by a heavy dose of color, is Daniel’s method to create a deeper relationship with both the process of creation and the outcome of artistic input.
Daniel’s mission is to spread positivity by means of creativity. Creativity is a force that can have a great impact on peoples’ lives. “Through my years exploring artistic endeavors in the visual realm, I have tried to convey creative expressions that positively reach others.” The ultimate goal is finding avenues for using art, design, creativity and visual elements that promote a steady and expansive growth both personal, professional and spiritual. Manifesting creativity using subject matters and artistic styles that garner a second look or an introspective moment of depth, movement, and reflection for the viewer.
Artworks are created with a complex approach of drawing a pattern or visual illusion, onto which the subject matter is drawn. The subject is painted, and the pattern or visual illusion is applied in tones or overlays, so the pattern remains and maintains its optical illusion or effect. Complex color combinations and impactful color-play are achieved through mixing and matching of tones and values of the multiple colors used in the murals by Daniel. The forms and shapes used in past works have recently been compiled into a visual vocabulary from which Daniel constructs designs and the subjects for his artworks. The use of this unique visual vocabulary allows for the subjects to be depicted in the artist’s own personal style creating a visual look readily identifiable as Daniel's style. These subjects draw inspiration from native and ancient cultures as well as ethereal and astral imaginary beings full of vivid colors and high levels of detail.
The use of patterns, visual illusions and op-art style illusions give the artworks motion and depth, and the use of colors give the artworks an extremely vivid subject to explore. The intention behind this approach to paintings is to create artworks that give the viewer a sense wonderment, playing with the visual planes of sight, bringing both the subject matter and the pattern or illusion on a constant harmonious play with each other.
Color is such an integral part for most everyone’s life, this mural will focus on delivering that visual experience for the public to enjoy and learn from the colors, subject and artistic intent.
Traditionally painting is a somewhat straightforward approach where a subject, or abstraction is painted in the artist’s style on a chosen surface, and then displayed for the viewer to examine or interpret what is in front of them. The current artworks by Daniel "R5" Barojas seek to challenge that traditional approach by incorporating elements into the artworks that may cause the viewer to see more than they expect. When an artwork can provide the viewer with unexpected interpretations or trick the visual planes and visual understanding of the viewer, perhaps it can add another dimension in which to admire the artwork.
Daniels dedication to public art accessible to the community can be seen in many of his public murals and artworks, some noteworthy examples include:
• Bradenton Florida is the location for Daniel’s newest piece of public art. This artwork features an underwater marine theme which incorporates a wave pattern background created with mosaics as well as 2 dolphins created from cut tile. The marine life and vegetation elements are comprised of cut aluminum, that has been powder coated in blue tones and black, these elements are offset from the wall/mosaic at various distances. The painted manatees and manta-rays all light up at night with LED lights installed behind each element and displaying pre-programmed light scenes.
• Puebla Mexico in the La Loma neighborhood is where Daniel contributed to the mural and neighborhood revitalizing efforts coordinated by La Rueda Puebla. Daniels mural in front of an elementary school celebrates children and the importance of society to nurture and assist them for the future of all humanity.
• Lealman Innovation Academy was the location where Daniel painted a large-scale mural for the school for the Creative Pinellas MuralARTS grant award. Daniel interviewed various students and faculty to define an appropriate design and created an impactful mural ta the school to inspire the students.
• The “MuralsDC Award” from the D.C. Commission on Arts & Humanities ws once again awarded to Daniel, which allowed him to create an engaging piece in a newer style celebrating the connections between us.
• The Tampa-Walls mural festival chose Daniel to be one of the artists for the inaugural mural festival in Tampa. Tampa-Walls is part of the Wordwide-Walls mural festival franchise (formerly known as Pow-Wow-Wordwide).
• The City of West Palm Beach chose Daniel to execute the Florida Flora mural celebrating the diverse flora of the state. This massive 4,995 sq ft mural is very visible to the public making it an amazing creative contribution for the public to enjoy.
• Pinellas County and Creative Pinellas awarded Daniel the MuralARTS award to paint a tunnel entrance at the beginning of the Pinellas Trail, this mural is a welcome addition to the hundreds of bikers and pedestrians from the community that enjoy the trail on a daily basis.
• The “MuralsDC Award” from the D.C. Commission on Arts & Humanities allowed Daniel to paint a mural with tribute to the Nacotchtank Indians, providing another opportunity to highlight and show reverence for the original settlers of the land in Washington D.C. and share that information with the public.
• The second Artist Award from the St. Pete Arts Alliance given to Daniel was for painting a mural with tribute to Pachamama (Mother Earth), this mural included a built-in custom planter which was then planted with vegetables, this planter became part of the community garden at Daystar Life Center who help people in the community.
• The Carter G Woodson African American Museum recently chose a diverse group of artists to paint a Black History Matters Mural in which Daniel painter the letter R in History during a community event and was subsequently interviewed on Fox news and Telemundo.
• The Artist Award from the St. Pete Arts Alliance allowed Daniel to paint a large mural with tribute to the Tocobaga Indians, this mural included community participation where various children from the
community assisted Daniel during an artistic outreach to the public further engaging with them about the method and discipline of mural painting.
Large scale commissioned murals have been successfully executed on several occasions:
• In Texas a two 16 story buildings that was painted by artist PixelPancho. Goldman Global Arts and PixelPancho hired Daniel to be the Lead Assistant in this massive project painted on a swing-lift on the Case Building in DeepEllum Dallas Texas.
• Texas Brand Bank was so impressed with the work Daniel performed, he was hired to return to Dallas to paint the side of the Texas Brand Bank also in DeepEllum Dallas Texas.
• In Washinton DC in 2021, Daniel was again called to be the “Artist Team Lead” on a massive project for the new Signal House building by Carr Properties in Union Market. For this project Daniel assisted artist Cita Sadeli – Miss Chelove on all phases of preparation/production/painting/installation of 4 outside ceiling murals comprised of over 200 individual panels.
• In Miami FL in 2022, Daniel was called in by ArtOps production company to help assist and finish the end phase of a new mural being produced for artist Francisca Oyhanarte at the legendary Club Space
