Juan Camilo Jaramillo, also known as ViejoTal, is a self-taught artist who entered the art world at the age of 55. Trained and working professionally as a marine biologist and university professor, his academic focus on environmental systems informs a practice rooted in observation, transformation, and layered complexity.

Working across a range of media—including oil on canvas, oil dripping techniques, oil pastels on wood, watercolor, and spray paint—Jaramillo often combines materials within a single composition. This hybrid approach reflects both experimentation and a refusal to be confined to a single formal language.

Central to his work is the use of Invisible Pigment Optics (IPOs), or “phantom pigments,” which respond to mid- and short-range ultraviolet wavelengths. Under UV light, his paintings reveal concealed imagery and alternate visual narratives, introducing a dual perception of each piece.

Further expanding the viewer’s experience, the works interact with ChromaDepth® glasses to produce a three-dimensional effect. Through this interplay of science and perception, Jaramillo invites the audience to move beyond passive viewing and engage with the artwork as a shifting, multidimensional environment.