My entry in to “Best of Gage” juried competition at Gage Academy of Art made history this year. It’s the first “installation” entry in to the Narrative category. I did not receive an award from BoG juror, Fay Jones, but the winning aspect for me is that it’s up for much longer, versus the short two-weeks during our recent Atelier show.
I’ve taken the same nook as before but this time there’s a twist. Flicker redux is interactive with many moving pieces (music too) and still is drawn from dreams and memories. See Flicker Collage above. I’m getting a lot of mileage out of the concept of the flickering timeline and these real life combined with subconscious experiences. I’m also currently working on three more oil paintings in this series.
At the onset of the Gen-X era, our experience was mainstream All-American. Generationally speaking, my generation fit in best, my parents —not-so-much and their parents (my grands)- don’t ask. Our American family holds true to our Mexican roots. As an artist, this body of work is how I show pride and respect for what my family faced and how they persevered. They provided for us and helped to make our generation the best we can be. I like to go out of my way to honor that.
Nadine experienced all the changes and to me that’s a wonderful thing. On a personal level, it’s kind of remarkable that my sister was first to take on the tumultuous 60’s and 70’s as an up and coming Mexican American from childhood to womanhood. She witnessed our neighborhood changes as well as the politics of the time. I’m not saying it was easy, I said remarkable. I think I’ll stay middle child and be grateful to my big sister, my parents and their parents … for charting the path.
Below are some photos of the installation. You can read more about the installation on the Installations: Flicker portfolio page.
