At art school, Ocampo constructed papier mache figures for floats, altars, and ornaments that were used during carnival parades and other festivals.
He now works primarily in the metamorphic style – using a technique of superimposing and juxtaposing realistic and figurative details within the images that he creates.
Ocampo is known for several works in his sometimes wryly sardonic, sometimes evocative paintings in which detailed images are intricately woven together to create larger images – the optical illusion fading back and stepping forward as you study the pieces, notice the details, and finally recognize the large scale intention.
[1] The Visions Fine Art Gallery in Sedona, Arizona represents Octavio Ocampo in the United States.
[2] Several collections in Mexico contain his work, and individual works of his have been commissioned for among others former President Jimmy Carter (commissioned as a gift from the then President of Mexico José López Portillo it was presented from the United Mexican States),[3] Jane Fonda, Cher (for the front and back covers of her Heart of Stone album),[4] and César Chávez.