Protection Ritual

Protection Ritual

cactus, yarn

2014

This bouquet of multiple hands is a symbol of protection created for my home. The use of this difficult (and painful) medium is meant to emphasize my devotion to my family. 

I've Made My Home

I've Made My Home

wasp nests, yarn, paper, ink

2014

I have observed the life cycle of paper wasps as they form their nests around my home. The careful precision of the queen when choosing a location and building her nest is remarkable. Every fall, the wasps die and the nests are left for me to collect. I have filled each empty chamber of these abandoned nests with a tiny roll of paper. The rolls state reasons why San Antonio, Texas was the ideal place for me to build my family and home.

ADIOS

Yesterday I moved out of my shared studio space at The Michigan Building on Woodlawn. The building is being sold and the community of artists that resides there must relocate. This place was a sanctuary for me. I cried as I carried all of my treasure-trash out to my car trip after trip after trip. I'm hopeful that a new place will present itself, but this haunted, crumbling, bright white church building is pretty hard to compete with. Best of luck to all of my artist neighbors! I'll see you around.

TWO GROUP SHOWS THIS FRIDAY EVENING

I will be participating in two large salon style shows this Friday, August 15 at Lady Base Gallery and Plazmo Contemporary. Both galleries are located in the same building, so stop by if you have a chance. These will be the last events held in this building before it is taken over by new owners. I will be showing previously unseen and new work. Check out the links below for more information.

The One and Only at Lady Base Gallery

Remember the Plazmo! at Plazmo Contemporary

HANDS

I am currently carving these hands from cactus pads.  I hang hands over the doorways of my home as symbols of protection.  I am loving the challenge and unpredictable nature of working with organic materials.

Crying Eyes

The "Crying Eyes" that were created at Mexic-Arte Museum's Make and Take were so beautiful.  I asked participants to recall an experience in which they were moved to tears and build this art object to commemorate it.  I was overwhelmed by their willingness to share.  Thank you to all of the participants as well as the museum staff and volunteers.

Make and Take TODAY!

This afternoon, from 2-4pm, I will be facilitating an interactive art activity at Mexic-Arte Museum in Austin.  Join us!  Expect to create something bizarre out of non-traditional materials.  I look forward to working with you!  Please visit the link below for more details.

Make and Take with Audrya Flores

NEW dream creature

Another  bizarre dream has supplied me with images to create in the physical world.  This black vulture head is made from recycled paper and latex paint.  It will soon grow into something much, much larger….

YLA 19 write up in The Huffington Post

Priscilla Frank of The Huffington Post did a wonderful write up of the Young Latina Artists 19 exhibition at Mexic-Arte Museum.  I am so proud to be included with these amazing women! Click on the link below to check it out.

The Huffington Post - 12 Young Latina Artists Changing the Contemporary Art Landscape

Outside of My Body, Outside of My Skin I & II

Outside of My Body, Outside of My Skin I & II
2014
recycled paper, latex paint, cotton fabric, ink
48" x 48"
48" x 48"

On the fabric that spills from each self portrait, I have shared my some of family's stories (stories of loss, stories of celebration, stories of revelation, stories about cucuys) of the Texas-Mexico border and in the process gained an understanding of my Tejana identity.

Young Latina Artists 19: Y, Que?

I am thrilled to have my latest work be a part of this exhibition at Mexic-Arte Museum in Austin, TX! 

Young Latina Artists 19: Y, Qué?
Guest Curators: Más Rudas Chicana Collective
Mexic-Arte Museum
419 Congress Ave, Austin, TX 78701
(512) 480-9373


Opening Reception:
June 13 from 6:00 PM-9:00 PM
Free for members/$5 for general public

Performances by
Fabiola Torralba: 7:00 PM-7:15 PM
Awilda Rodriguez Lora: 8:00 PM-9:00 PM

Young Latina Artists 19: Y, qué?
The Young Latino Artists (YLA) exhibition has historically provided Latino artists under the age of thirty-five with professional-level museum experience and exposure. In 1996, the inception of the Young Latino Artists Exhibition resulted in one of the most highly anticipated annual traditions for the Mexic-Arte Museum. Now in its nineteenth year, the next YLA exhibition Y, qué? will be guest curated by the Más Rudas Chicana Collective; Ruth Buentello, Sarah Castillo, Kristin Gamez, and Mari Hernandez.

In a time where the validity and necessity of Latina art is in question in contemporary art, Y, Qué? (“and what!”) is a bold gesture of unflinching existence as well as an affirmation of the state of multiple identities. Curated by Más Rudas Chicana art collective based in San Antonio, Texas, Y, Qué? includes Latina artists cultivating artistic vocabularies to understand the world around them. Their artistic languages at times converge and diverge, as they all work towards resolving conflicts that derive from questions related to race, class, cultural identity, gender, and sexuality.

Selected artists include:
Natalia Anciso, Daphne Arthur, Nani Chacon, Audrya Flores, Suzy Gonzalez, Alexis Herrera, Las Hermanas Iglesias, Annette Martinez, Senalka McDonald, Awilda Rodriguez Lora, Cristy C. Road, Linda Lucía Santana, and Fabiola Torralba.


Young Latino Artists 19 Exhibition Programming

June 14, 2014
12-1 PM
YLA 19 Artists Talk with Nani Chacon,
Alexis Herrera, Awilda Rodriguez Lora
Linda Lucia Santana, Fabiola Torralba, and Más Rudas Chicana Collective
Admission: Free for Members/$5 for general public

June 28, 2014
2-3 PM
Public Tour by Curators, Mås Rudas Chicana Collective
Admission: Free for Members/$5 for general public

July 27, 2014
2-4 PM
Make and Take with Audrya Flores
Admission: Free for Members/$5 for general public

September 6, 2014
1-3 PM
Family Day with Alexis Herrera
Admission: Free for the general public

EVIL

When I decided to record family stories for this project, this is one of the first that I thought of.  It is a story that was told to me by a cousin.  The image has haunted me for years.  It is easily one of my favorites of the bunch.

"I was walking to church early one morning. I was an altar boy and we had to get there early. The sun wasn't up yet. I looked up and saw a dog in front of me. Growling at me. Right in the middle of the road. But this dog wasn't no normal dog. It had a long snout. Like really long. Maybe two feet long. And right then, I knew it was evil. There was no other explanation. Dogs just don't look like that. So I made the sign of the cross over myself and picked up a big rock. But when I went to throw it, the dog was gone." 

STORYTELLING

I am incorporating storytelling into the two pieces I'm currently working on.  These are family stories that give a peek into my childhood on the Texas-Mexico border.  Here are some examples of the experimenting I've been doing with script on linens.

slow progress

I chose to arrange my paper background in a way that will hopefully give my final image a fragmented and distant feel.  I arranged the paper first and then glued it down to a 4' x 4' piece of plywood.  The gluing takes several sessions and I use all kinds of objects to weigh the paper down overnight.  I used scrap wood to build a frame.

NEW WORK for an upcoming group show

I am currently creating two large self portraits for a group show in June.  This is the first step in my process.  I have collected this thick, grainy card-board colored paper from the cafeteria at the school I teach at.  It is used as a barrier between stacks of food.  I initially salvaged a huge pile of it from the garbage, but now it is set aside just for me.  My coworkers are so supportive!  I want the backgrounds of my images to appear like old photographs.  One background is a black/brown color and the other is this rust/sepia color.  I used whatever paint I had laying around (acrylic and latex) and a lot of water.

Alone

Alone
2013
acrylic on cardboard

Jaguar-Opossum I

Jaguar-Opossum I
2013
acrylic on paper

Mother of Thousands

Mother of Thousands
2013
acrylic on paper

This self portrait, entitled Mother of Thousands is a reflection of a conflicted self-image after the birth of my son.  Complications during childbirth prevented a natural delivery and left me with a wounded body and ego.  During my recovery, I found the ability to nurse my baby both healing and empowering.  Self-doubt has succumbed to instinct and the identity of "mother" has emerged.

The Mother of Thousands plant, a self-propagating succulent, is known for growing baby plants and dropping them into the soil below.  This particular plant is one of the many offspring that has grown under the care of the women of my family going back to my maternal great-grandmother.

I have harvested several babies from the many plants growing in my garden.  I invite you to take one, place it in some soil, and nurture it in your own way.

photos by Mari Hernandez

I Do As I Please

I Do As I Please
2013
acrylic on paper
50 1/2" x 59 1/2"

Dwellers

Dwellers
2013
acrylic and paper on wood
49 1/2" x 49 1/2"

"Dwellers" depicts two creatures that I have encountered in recurring nightmares. Recreating them allowed me to confront the anxiety and fear that they represent. Giving these monsters a physical space to inhabit made it possible to examine them with more clarity. What I first perceived to be horrific, was just a hidden part of myself I was unwilling to acknowledge.