Expanded Graphic Art
This series sat in my sketchbook for years. It tells the story of the compartmentalization of empirical and experience based knowledge. It also shows a concern for telling a story in a whole different way: Watercolor Drawing as a human endeavour first, followed by the precision of science (laser) and survey in the form of lithography layers. Maps are intriguing to me because of the sense of truth and command they represent. We do not question their validity and embedded information, yet, they only consist of lines and text that share a visual syntaxis that can be read across cultures. I am joining points located in maps relevant to my readings about the history of colonization of the American continent, Mexico specifically. Other maps tell the story of migrating viruses that helped Spaniards to disseminate Mesoamerican cultures. Eventually these maps disappear under the action of digital deletion or laser engraving (burning) leaving clean lines of those joined dots.
40 x 28", Mixed media on Paper, 2017
40 x 28", Mixed media on paper, 2017
40 x 28", Mixed media on paper, 2017
40 x 28", Mixed media on paper, 2017
28 x 40", Mixed Media on Arches paper, 2017.
40 x 30", Mixed Media on Paper, 2016
28 x 40", Mixed Media on Arches paper, 2017.
40 x 28", Mixed Media on Arches paper, 2016
My artist friend Alicia Candiani brought two plates from her native Argentina to Kansas City. I have been to Argentina and I loved these maps. These maps are deeply personal to her but was kind enough to ket me use them in some of our collaborative pieces for our on-going Crossover project. I think I am ready to let these maps go but no without thanking Alicia for her open support and willingness to participate on this alternative project.
I have always admired the group of Spanish artists who migrated to Mexico during the Spanish civil war under Franco. Artists like Vicente Rojo explored the simplicity of geometry by separating watercolor and "Gouche" painting. This particular piece is an homage to his work.
This diptych was started back in 2008 using elements from my 2003-2008 series of works using collograph and etching. After engraving maps and viruses with laser, I started to see order again and a sense of direction by exposing paper through channels and watercolor.
Piece based on a multiplicity of maps first used by Spanish conquerors in addition to the unknown feeling on anxiety.
The summer of 2016 in Kansas City makes one think of the inhospitable environment Europeans faced while trying to populate or take over the entire continent. This piece was inspired by the colors of the products shipped to Europe from the Americas including Silver.
This is an installation piece result from my residency at Proyecto Ace in Buenos Aires, Argentina in 2011.
Mixed media on Arches paper, 16 x 24", 2016
This is the first piece of the series that sat in my sketchbook for years. It tells the story of the compartmentalization of empirical and experience based knowledge. It also shows a concern for telling a story in a whole different way: Watercolor Drawing as a human endeavour first, followed by the precision of science (laser) and survey in the form of lithography last.
16 x 24", Mixed Media on BFK paper, 2016.
16 x 36", Mixed Media on Arches paper, 2016.
16 x 24", Mixed Media on Arches paper, 2016.
This is one of those pieces that can help to push the envelop. It was the first piece that I treated with Laser drawing after layers of lithography printing. Opening up or removing layers of ink helped me to paint or dye with watercolor and gouache paint. This is not digital printing.
16 x 24", Mixed media on Arches paper, 2016.
Laser, Drawing, Painting and Printmaking processes.
This work started in 2009 and was finished during the 2012 Crossover session with printing, drawing and painting done by Rivera, Yazzie and Villalobos.
These series (Hernan Cortés children) is a testimony of human endeavour translated to drawing, followed by the precision of science (laser) and historical survey in the form of print layers. Maps are intriguing to me because of the sense of truth and respect they command. We do not question their validity and embedded information, yet, they only consist of lines and text that share a visual syntaxis that can be read across western cultures. I am joining points located in maps relevant to my readings about the history of colonization of the American continent, Mexico specifically. Eventually these maps disappear under the action of digital deletion or laser engraving (burning) leaving clean lines of those joined dots.
This particular piece is inspired by the act on navigating at night, or almost blind. Background patterns are a composite of layers of European viruses brought to the Americas by Hernan Cortez's soldiers, nautical maps and Mexican churches facades, all of them interacting without a hierarchical order.
Mixed Media:
Lithography, Relief, Laser engraving and CNC drawing on black arches paper
40 x 28"
2017
"Hernando"
Mixed Media:
Lithography, Relief, Laser engraving and CNC drawing
28 x 40"
2017
"Catalina Pizarro"
Mixed Media:
Lithography, Relief, Laser engraving and CNC drawing
28 x 40"
2017
Leonor Cortes
Mixed Media:
Lithography, Relief, Laser engraving and CNC drawing
40 x 28"
2017
"Martin Cortes"
Mixed Media:
Lithography, Relief, Laser engraving and CNC drawing
28 x 40"
2017
This is a tryptic thinking of our right to manifest our right over land, nature and people. I used maps, mapping route drawings and colors that may have prominent to the conquest of the Western North American continent.
Printmaking, painting, CNC assisted drawing and laser engraving.
30 x 66"
This piece resembles the struggles of two continents colliding (America and European continents) creating a whole new continent as Charles O. Mann describes in his book "1491"
Mixed media on paper.
28 x 40"
2017
These pieces are perhaps evidence of search for unknown territories and structures found in my search of hidden linear connectors in architecture.
"fin de siè·cle I"
Mixed Media:
Lithography, Relief, Laser engraving and CNC drawing
28 x 40"
2017
Mixed Media:
Lithography, Relief, Laser engraving and CNC drawing and black arches paper
40 x 28"
2017
Mixed Media:
Lithography, Relief, Laser engraving and CNC drawing
40 x 28"
2017
CROSSOVER was collaborative international printmaking project between artists questioning the established norms of the original production and authorship of artistic work, leading to the collaborative work between artists from around the world. In this project one’s work, property and egos became irrelevant, as artists have to trust each other allowing themselves and their counterparts to place their hand-marks, images and matrixes on one’s previous works. The collaborating artists aimed to evolve in their own practice by finding common points of view and theoretical discourse.
The most recent CROSSOVER session took the format of an international project at Proyecto’ace/Artist-in-Residence International Program in Buenos Aires Argentina, from February to June 2013. Alicia Candiani as Proyecto‘ace director and Adriana Moracci as ‘ace studio manager created a new version for CROSSOVER , which included work in collaboration in a micro-residency format, an exhibition in Buenos Aires and a traveling exhibition through the United States.
Alejandro Scasso
Mixed media
30 x 44"
Alejandro Thorton
Relief
30 x 22"
Carla Beretta
30 x 44"
Mixed media collage
Carla Perri
Mixed media print
30 x 22"
Carolina Roge
Mixed media
30 x 22"
Cristina Solia
Mixed media
22 x 30"
Felipe Garcia
Mixed media
30 x 44"
Gabriela Alcoba
Mixed media
22 x 30"
Gabriela Zelentcher
Mixed media on fabric
30 x 22"
Jennifer Pickering
Paper composite
30 x 44"
Magui Moavro
Mixed media
Dyptich 30 x 44"
Maren Preston
Mixed media on fabric
30 x 44"
Maria Jose Sanchez Chiappe
Mixed media
Dyptich 30 x 44"
Natalio Altube
Mixed Media
30 x 22"
Paula Nahmod
Mixed media
30 x 22"
Paz Jovtis
Mixed media
30 x 22"
Sara Ayme Verity
Mixed media fold
22 x 30"
Simon Hall
Mixed media
44 x 16"
Sol Massera
Mixed media
22 x 30"
Sonia Sanchez Alvear
Mixed media
22 x 30"
Viviana Sierra
Mixed media
Dyptich 30 x 44"
Yoon Kim
Mixed media
Dyptich 30 x 44"
Extra information on sequential printing and drawing.
Initiated at Project ACE in Buenos Aires, Argentina in 2011 using wood block printing and lithography.
2 years later, toner drawinng and another layer of lithography was added.
I wanted to include information of my origins, so I added a map of my home town Guanajuato using a CNC drawing device.
Like any printmaker, I love Durer. His images traveled to the Americas brought by missionaries. This is an indirect reference to his power in the way he was able to illustrate religious dogma therefore, helping Europeans to conquer Mesoamerican Indian cultures.
This file was run through a laser engraver directly on the printed and drawn paper.
After laser engraving.
Gouche painting after laser engraving. This is the step where shapes start to form by intersecting angles and map coordinates.
CNC mechanical drawing is added to the piece to structure and divide negative and positive spaces.
Water color and Gouache paint are added to define the final image. I used colors described in the Charles Mann book 1493 in which he refers that the actual benefits for Europe from the Americas were food products harvested in Mexico and Peru such as chocolate, peppers, tomatoes, potatoes, etc.
