Young Latino Artists Exhibition #12

EMBRACING CHAOS
Curated by Angel Quesada
Houston, TX McAllen, TX Austin, TX Corpus Christi, TX San Antonio, TX El Paso, TX CHUY BENITEZ JESUS DE LA ROSA LUCILLA FLORES GERALD LOPEZ ENRIQUE MARTINEZ ANNA PILHOEFER
T h e Offic i a l M e x ic a n a n d M e x ic a n A m er ic a n Fi n e A rt Mu se um of T e xas

EMBRACING CHAOS
2007 YOUNG LATINO ARTISTS #12
In curating this exhibit I wanted to select artists whose aesthetic fit seamlessly into my evolving idea of chaos. I also wanted to present a pluralistic view of what it means to be a Young Latino Artist in these times. In fact, the theme evolved parallel to the process; it was the method that determined the outcome. Instead of a prescribed or highly ordered system to select art, and therefore a theme, I employed a different style of arriving at the concept. Chaos informed my curatorial method, and as such informed the content of this exhibition. I once asked a physics engineer what he predicted as the future trend of art making. He answered simply, It is without a doubt going to embrace chaos. This years exhibition, called Embracing Chaos, is about accidents and denials. I went looking for accidents, following my wants and searching for for these appropriate went looking for accidents, following my wants and searching these appropriate acaccidents. The only challenge to deem which accidents were were appropriate exhibicidents. The only challenge was was to deem which accidents appropriate for the for the exhibition. we associate accidents with adversity, disaster or disruption of plans. wished tion. Often Often we associate accidents with adversity, disaster or disruption ofI plans. I wished to find artists with could I could I realized that this would mean I mean have to to find artists with whom I whom identify.identify. I realized that this wouldwould I would have to with artists who are traveling in similar similar ways exposed to a certain quality connectconnect with artists who are traveling inways and are and are exposed to a certain quality of of chaos. chaos. The content of the show features artists engaged in rule-breaking and defying the established canons of both Latino art and community. In this regard, the show is also about a denial of the status quo and validation based on stereotypes. The artwork is set firmly in denial, never needing to play the Latino card to exert accreditation or substance. It is a denial of culture and conformity and inherits the anxiety of individualism. In this sentiment, I present a show that is at once full of conviction but is is also series of of perfect accidents. a show that is at once full of conviction but also a a series perfect accidents. A vehicle of disorder pays no mind to intelligence, strength, integrity, or good intentions. A vehicle of disorder pays no mind to intelligence, strength, integrity, or good intentions. -Angel Quesada, Curator

Why did you choose chaos as your curatorial theme for YLA 12? At first, I didnt worry about the theme. I wanted to conceive of something that would keep me interested and those working on the project piqued, as well. I set off to find filters for good art. I thought about having an open call, but we didnt have the time or manpower needed for such a feat. I kind of let the process dictate the direction of the show and, before I knew, I was plunged into the chaos. Whats your definition of chaos? Do you feel your art emerges from a position of chaos? Chaos is a pattern of nonpatterns. It is a divergence from the obvious. To talk about a concept that is as encompassing as chaos is, one must reflect on accidents, opposites, inverses, parallels, and the intangible. In the show, I used it to indicate the area between the creative mind and the process/ product of art. One can see art in a museum or gallery, or on the side of a dumpster, or in the clouds shaped like your thoughts. Life is contradiction and art co-exists. I sometimes wonder why people bother making art, until I go to someones home and find myself enjoying a painting in their collection. This is what fuels me to continue making art. I never completely know what the end result will be and that is exciting! As you curated YLA and went looking at the art of your peers, what did you find that surprised you, either thematically or stylistically? I asked fine art scholars, established artists, and art directors among others to recommend talented emerging artists from around Texas. They did not know what my theme was at the time; neither did I. I didnt want to make a theme before I saw the art. I was looking for threads throughout the work, ideas that were common with all of the artists. I realized that I was looking to identify with them and I neednt look further than myself. This is not to say that the show is a self-portrait; instead it is a portrait of everybody, including you. I wanted to find artists that could draw and tell a story. What do you hope will surprise people when they see YLA 12? What do you hope they understand about contemporary art by emerging artists and todays emerging Latino/a artists? I wanted to make this YLA 12 accessible to a lot of different audiences, not just the Austin art scene. I wanted to let loose and give contemporary art a warmer faade as it often can be regarded as esoteric or puzzling to many. This art is vivacious, engaging and personal. Many affect their cultural roots but I stayed away from overt gestures of culturalism I think people will gravitate towards and identify with . the tongue-in-cheek narratives, virtuosity of execution, beauty of the craftsmanship and the overall energy of these artists. These artists are simultaneously heroes and victims of their own chaos. Angel Quesada. Thinking deliberately, bringing Chaos. Interview by Jeanne Claire van Ryzin. Austin American-Statesman, 6 September 2007.

EDUCATION 2008: M.F.A., Photography, University of Houston, TX 2005: B.A., Art Studio Photography, University of Notre Dame, IN AWARDS 2007: Nikon Vision Scholarship, Santa Fe Workshops 2005: Mexican American Studies Graduate Fellowship, University of Houston, TX 2003: Undergraduate Research Opportunity Grant, University of Notre Dame, IN EXHIBITIONS 2008: MFA Thesis Show, Blaffer Gallery at University of Houston, TX Houston Cultura (solo), Lawndale Art Center, Houston, TX 2007: Round 27: Issues of Race and Class (solo), Project Rowhouses, Houston, TX The Big Show, Lawndale Art Center, Houston, TX Texas National 2007, Stephen F. Austin State University, Nacogdoches, TX Learning Curve, Houston Center for Photography, Houston, TX 2006: Solo Exhibition, Multicultural Education and Counseling Through the Arts, Houston, TX The Big Show, Lawndale Art Center, Houston, TX Hecho en El Barrio: A Fotofest Exhibition, Casa Ramirez, Houston, TX Solo Exhibition, Centennial Museum at The University of Texas at El Paso, TX 2005: High and Dry 2005, Texas Tech International Center for Arid & Semiarid Land Studies, Lubbock, TX Solo Exhibition, Galera Amrica, University of Notre Dame, IN 2004: Student Photo Contest, Photo District News/Epson Winners Gallery

My photograph panoramas allow me to give the fullest representation of each community and environment. The images are recordings of public and personal situations encountered in the past two years, and each image presents its own distinctive mix of bi-national cultural pride. The panoramas are created from multiple sequence shots, but they are merged digitally to appear as a single, decisive moment.

Family Chrome Shop, Auto Chrome Plating Co., Harrisburg Community, Houston, TX 16 x 36 Ultrachrome print ,

Mariachi Sangre Joven, Fiesta Mart of Wayside Dr., Second Ward (Segundo Barrio), Houston, TX, 24 x 67 Ultrachrome print ,

I address concerns, which arise from residing on the Texas/Mexico borderlands, where the collision of cultures, languages and identities is constant. Sometimes, a river or a mountain range will determine the border between peoples. Sometimes, a border is only the ink of a line drawn by a man. In my paintings I make these layers interrelate, coexist, and come into synthesis.

EDUCATION 2005: M.F.A., The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 1999: B.F.A., Texas A&M University, Kingsville, TX AWARDS 2007: Honorable Mention, Outside The Box, K Space Contemporary, Corpus Christi, TX 2007: Honorable Mention, EXPO 07, 500x Gallery, Dallas, TX 2005: Edith Fergus Gilmore Travel Grant, The Ohio State University 2005: Edith Fergus Gilmore Materials Grant, The Ohio State University 2004: Edith Fergus Gilmore Travel Grant, The Ohio State University 2004: Graduate Teaching Fellowship, The Ohio State University 2003: Graduate Enrichment Fellowship, The Ohio State University EXHIBITIONS 2007: Visioning the Virgin, Weil Gallery, Texas A&M University, Corpus Christi, TX Outside The Box, K Space Contemporary, Corpus Christi, TX EXPO 07, 500x Gallery, Dallas, TX 2006: Recent Work, Upper Valley Art League, Mission, TX Visual Aids Postcards From the Edge, Sikkerna Jenkins & Co., New York, NY Four Emerging Artists, Richardson Art Gallery, The University of Texas at Brownsville, TX Mensaje Latino, Gallery 555, Detroit, MI UNO, 409 Gallery, Brownsville, TX Emerging Artists, Roy G. Biv Gallery, Columbus, OH 2005: El Otro Lado/The Other Side, MFA Exhibition, Hopkins Hall Gallery, Columbus, OH 06 Preview, Roy G. Biv, Columbus, OH 3rd Annual Exhibition of The Ohio Staters Collection, Ohio Union Gallery, Columbus, OH Annual OSU MFA Graduate Exhibition, Hopkins Hall Gallery, Columbus, OH Texas Tech University at OSU, The Clean Space Gallery/Sherman Studio Art Center, Columbus, OH Off The Press, The Ohio State University Newark Gallery, Newark, OH The 94th Annual Ohio Art Exhibition, Columbus Cultural Arts Center, Columbus, OH

Migration to Utopia, 41 x 93 x 2 Mixed media on canvas ,

EDUCATION 2007: B.A., Studio Art, St. Edwards University, Austin, TX AWARDS 2007: Austin Art League Scholarship Recipient 2007: Still Water Foundation Scholarship Recipient, St. Edwards University 2006: Still Water Foundation Scholarship Recipient, St. Edwards University EXHIBITIONS 2007: Untitled, St Edwards University, Austin, TX 2006: The Blank Canvas, Isabella Launch Party, Austin, TX

My work is influenced by the pen and ink drawings of Leonardo da Vinci. During his time, horses enjoyed a special status in the society of the Italian Renaissance and formed an essential part of an artists oeuvre. In order to capture the essence of each horse, I draw on my own personal experiences of growing up with horses in my back yard. I am interested in my work going beyond just an idealized image, creating a sense of depth, space, and movement. Just as the horses of the Italian Renaissance enjoyed a special status, the horses in my prints should convey this standing. Whether it is taking the viewer from the basic anatomy of the horse to the intricate layers in motion, it is my hope that these drawings will express the important role the horse has had in our society as well as in my own personal life.

Backthen II & IV, 25 x 28 Intaglio and chincole ,

Backthen VI, 25 x 28 Intaglio and chincole ,

The environment plays an integral part in the development of my work. People, places and things from everyday life provide a rich source from which to draw on. Friends, popular culture, current events, social commentary and Hispanic culture highlight some of the topics I examine. The cast of characters I use in my work confront everyday issues twisted by my imagination. My aim is to transform the ordinary into the extraordinary.

EDUCATION 2001: M.F.A., University of Delaware, Newark, DE 1999: B.F.A., Texas A&M University, Corpus Christi, TX 1996: A.A., Del Mar College, Corpus Christi, TX AWARDS 2004: Purchase Award, Minnesota National Print Biennial 2004 2002: Cash Award, 36th Annual National Drawing and Small Sculpture Show 2000: Presidential Fellowship, University of Delaware 2000: Cash Award, 34th Annual National Drawing and Small Sculpture Show 2000: First Place-Printmaking, Second Place-Drawing, 8th Annual International Juried Show 1999: Presidential Fellowship, University of Delaware 1999: Honorable Mention-Works on Paper, 1999 Independent Exhibit 1998: First Place-Works on Paper, South Texas College/University Invitational Juried Art Exhibition EXHIBITIONS 2007: 5x7 2007, Arthouse, Austin, TX (traveled to Gallery Sonja Roesch, Houston, TX) Showdown, Joseph A. Cain Memorial Art Gallery, Del Mar College, Corpus Christi, TX 20th September Competition, Alexandria Museum of Art, Alexandria, LA 2006: Five Printmakers, First Floor Gallery, Galvan House, Corpus Christi, TX 5x7 2006, Arthouse, Austin, TX (traveled to Finesilver Gallery, Houston, TX, and Dunn and Brown Contemporary, Dallas, TX) Residue from the Bling-Bling Circus, Cubicle 10 Gallery/MP Development, Washington, D.C. New Texas Talent 2006, Craighead-Green Gallery, Dallas, TX K Space Gets Centered, Art Center of Corpus Christi, TX 2005: 30th Bradley International Print and Drawing Exhibition, Heuser Art Center Gallery, Bradley University, Peoria, IL Spring Exhibit, Art Center of Corpus Christi, TX 5x7 2005, Arthouse, Austin, TX (traveled to Conduit Gallery, Dallas, TX) A Southern Perspective on Prints: The 2005 New Orleans Triennial, New Orleans Museum of Art, New Orleans, LA 33rd Annual Toys Designed by Artists Exhibition, Arkansas Arts Center, Little Rock, AR 10th Anniversary Show, K Space Art Studios, Corpus Christi, TX

A-Bomb/ H-Bomb, 19 x 15 Screenprint ,

Be Careful What You Ask For, 15 x 10 , Mixed media on paper

EDUCATION 2006: M.F.A., Painting, The University of Texas at San Antonio, TX 2004: B.F.A., Painting, Texas State University, San Marcos, TX 1998: Art Center College of Art and Design, Pasadena, CA EXHIBITIONS 2007: Six Painters, Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center, San Antonio, TX Thus Spoke the Enigma of Desire (solo), 1906 Gallery, San Antonio, TX Drawing Frenzy, Sala Diaz, San Antonio, TX Creating Context: Words at Work, UTSA Satellite Space, San Antonio, TX 2006: The Changing Identity of El Dia de los Muertos, Institute of Texan Cultures, San Antonio, TX Transitions, UTSA Satellite Space, San Antonio, TX Coordinates, Studio 61, Florence, Italy Funny Little People (solo), Three Walls Gallery, San Antonio, TX Fire in the Belly, Blue Star Contemporary Art, San Antonio, TX Pizza, Beer and Cigarettes (solo installation), Gallery E, San Antonio, TX Unlocked, UTSA Satellite Space, San Antonio, TX Nuestras Caras: Our Faces, Centro Cultural Aztlan, San Antonio, TX 2005: Schism (solo), Gallery E, San Antonio, TX Word and Image, ArteReyes, San Antonio, TX Face First, UTSA Satellite Space, San Antonio, TX 2004: $ Or: How to Two-time Your Texas Honey (solo), Gallery E, San Antonio, TX B.F.A. Thesis Exhibition, Texas State University, San Marcos, TX 2003: Grupo Cetero, Titos, San Antonio, TX Italian Chalk Art Festival, Austin, TX 2002: Splash, Imagine Art, Austin, TX SXSo What, Art-Core, Austin, TX

My artwork is personal, confessional and generally critical of society and culture. I approach art making as an opportunity to openly reveal my personal quirks, anxieties, observations and concerns. Ultimately it is my intention that my work to be an honest reflection of my world and society, and an honest projection of myself. I want my viewers to look at themselves and each other and to challenge what they see.

Fanatics, 15 x 56 Graphite and colored pencil on paper ,

(front cover)

Forever Keepsies, 24 x 6 Graphite and colored pencil on paper booklet ,

(back cover)

EDUCATION 2007: M.A., Art Education, The University of Texas at El Paso, TX 1999: B.F.A., The University of Texas at El Paso, TX EXHIBITIONS 2007: rasquache, Glass Gallery, El Paso, TX Artist Call, OLO Gallery, El Paso, TX 2003: Texas 1220 Warehouse, El Paso TX Rim Road Show, Bridge Center for Contemporary Arts, El Paso, TX El Rey Del Camino, Union Gallery, El Paso, TX 1999: antes que te cases mira lo que haces, Glass Gallery, El Paso, TX Juried Student Art Show: Best Painting, The University of Texas at El Paso, TX 1998: Juried Student Art Show, The University of Texas at El Paso, TX 1997: Juried Student Art Show, The University of Texas at El Paso, TX 1996: Juried Student Art Show, The University of Texas at El Paso, TX

I work with vintage, printed fabrics and found objects made by women of previous eras; some in particular belonging to my Latina mother. I act as a collaborator, modernizing their traditional work and altering its original purpose. The fabric becomes the foundation for a dialogue between the old and the new. My art deals with history, tradition, mythology, nature, relationships and intimacy. The entwinement of contemporary motifs into these vintage fabrics inspires contrasts and dialogues between the time and consciousness of the original creator and topics that concern us today.

Engorged, 34x46 Embroidery on batik ,

Black Beauty, 31x32 Embroidery on batik ,

Embracing Chaos YLA 12

Yo u n g L at i n o Ar t i s t s E x h i b i t i o n S e p te m b e r 1 5 , 2 0 0 7 - Fe b ru a r y 2 3 , 2008 M ex i c a n Am e r i c a n Cu l t u ra l Ce nte r Au s t i n , T X M ay 2 2 , 2 0 0 8 - J u n e 2 0 , 2 0 0 8 We i l G a l l e r y Tex a s A & M Un i ve r s i t y Co r p u s Ch r i s t i , T X

The Officia l Me xican and Me xican A merican Fine Art Museum of Te xas

419 Congress Ave. Austin, T X 78701 512.480.9373 Mailing Address: P.O. Box 2273 Austin, T X 78768 www.mexic-ar temuseum.org info@mexic-ar temuseum.org

EXHIBITION CURATOR Angel Quesada AND DESIGNER EXHIBITION Carlos R amirez GRAPHIC DESIGNER INSTALLATION Jose Rodriguez C ATALOG Jesus Alaniz III GRAPHIC DESIGNER C ATALOG EDITORS Sylvia Orozco Alexandra Landeros C ATALOG LAYOUT Darran M inke

2008 Mexic-Arte Museum