At the age of seven he was immensely inspired by a virtuoso circus performance by a troupe called Círcolo. His first camera was a Kodak Ektralite 10 when he was around twelve years old. He carried that thing everywhere. Film was expensive to develop in his native Puerto Rico back in the late 80’s, early 90’s so he would often find himself begging his mother to give him some house chores in order to make some money so he could develop his film rolls. His life has been marked by a clear photographic memory. During his early teenage years he discovered his addiction to live performance when he started off as a nightclub dj. He particularly loved being smuggled into nightclubs to spin a vinyl or two before midnight.
Self-taught in photography Jorge’s formal training is in acting. His late teenage years and early twenties were highly influenced by multiple jobs including dj, car mechanic, personal trainer, waiter, photographer and actor. But it was his dj/photographer/acting pursuit the ones that have created a deep, solid foundation that serves him well towards his artistic pursuit. His relentless tenacity has seen him transition over the course of the years from 110 film into 35mm film, and even though a switchover to digital was eventually imminent, 35mm black and white film remains his preferred format of choice. Jorge chooses to challenge himself by editing in the camera body rather than in Photoshop. Pushing or pulling film and waiting to see what comes out after processing is part of his artistic practice. The poetry and care that film demands from him is one of the thrills that he cherishes the most. He currently challenges himself to preserve the integrity of his work while exploring the infinite possibilities of the digital format.