Playground/Battleground is a representational exploration of two places that touch my heart because not only are they are vital to the health of our communities, their populations are largely voiceless and vulnerable.
The playground is representative of the schoolyard, where our children should feel total freedom and fecundity; however, our children face gun violence and censorship of their curriculum and myriad other detrimental challenges. Meanwhile, on the working farm, Mexican migrant workers face repatriation, a loss of livelihood and even drastic separation from loved ones—and all this despite the fact that they work so tirelessly to feed our country.
In this exhibition, I offer a visual declaration of solidarity with these vulnerable groups, and I hope that reflection on my work will help, in any measure, to shine a light on those who cannot defend themselves. The viewer may feel an increase in tension as the show progresses, concluding with a survival tactic through the eyes of a child: does one fight or take flight?
Artist’s Statement
My eyes are open to culture—particularly the vitality intrinsic to it. It is for this reason that I do my work: culture is a vehicle for progress and should be regarded with sincerity.
As a figurative painter, I generate visual examples of culture, using my own pictorial language as a means of expressive reportage. I am drawn to the resilience and optimism found in the human form. I process the world in layers, and so I paint in layers, beginning with a deep foundational hue and building on that over time. As I apply paint, I combine what I see with how it makes me feel. The result is a jeopardizing of reality as I take liberties with form and color.
I benefit from two major cultural factors: my identity within my home region & my deep appreciation of music. The South Texas borderland is a confluence of Mexican & American customs which radiate from the Rio Grande River. I am connected to the land, especially as a 4th generation Mexican-American artist whose roots stretch to Candela, Coahuila, Mexico. My maternal grandparents were Texan ranchers, and they taught me to respect the land, to be mindful of its history and the political shadows cast upon it. Music, most notably hip hop, is also a key cultural factor in my work. I listen to it everyday in my studio, and it informs my work by way of passion and resourceful expression.
I am honored to have worked with wonderful organizations and people such as the Museum of the Red River, The University of Arts and Sciences Oklahoma, Texas State University, the University of San Antonio-Pace, the I Have a Dream Foundation, the Mexican-American Unity Council and Three-Eleven Gallery in Raleigh, North Carolina. I am grateful to have been included in a collaborative piece with my dear friend & fellow artist, Karla Kopalli, and our work is now in the permanent collection at the Smithsonian Museum of the American Latino in Washington DC. I also give thanks to fellow artist and mentor, Thomas Crowther whose expertise and fresh perspective are always constructive.
I am grateful for the opportunity to work with the esteemed team at LHUCA and to present this exhibition for the community in Lubbock.
Playground/Battleground will be on view until March 29, 2025 at LHUCA, located at 511 Avenue K, Lubbock, TX. Please direct any inquiries to curator, Taylor Ernst at (806) 762.8606. Thank you.
