A couple of events happening around Tucson this weekend got me to thinking about the dimensions of cities and art.

• Mercury Portal at Monterey Court
• The Boneyard Project at Pima Air & Space Museum

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For me, smaller cities, towns and rural areas, by providing more space, physically, mentally and alternative uses thereof of all of the above, allow for/force interesting art to happen.  I notice big cities, while full of perfectly lovely people, tend to get hung up on trendiness. Allow me to disparage Austin for a sec: let’s see, what do we have going on art-wise this week? A couple of printmaking (silkscreen, to be specific) shows, an zine release party on the street art tip; on the highbrow side, some lectures at the University, a commercial gallery show with a tome of a press release, and an installation-performance about the end of the world at an old house.

The installation-performance and apocalyptic theme have been “trending” over the course of the last year or so (but thinking back to those paintings I saw at arthouse in ’06/’07 or thereabouts — can’t find the info online). I think this is because one’s understanding of space in the city is so rigidly compartmentalized: exit ramp, median, lamppost, sidewalk, yard, office park, cool neighborhood, ghetto neighborhood, rich part of town. The destructive nature of this type of art satisfies the urge to break out of this utilitarian framework, to wrenchingly twist it past recognition in order to self-consciously surprise. While this is healthy and interesting and wonderful, it seems to me a bit like unrequited love. The cement does not give back, it merely reflects.

Lacking these utilities and dedicated facilities, smaller cities and rural areas allow artistically-minded inhabitants to make their mark on the environment — and for it to make its impact felt in reciprocation. I’m not talking about some sort of hippie utopia, just the everyday-ness of living in a place where everything is subtracted. There is a perception that things must happen in order for a place to be happening. What would happen if something didn’t happen?

***
As I’ve gotten older, my art has turned outward towards experiencing my environment, away from the introspection of growing up, something probably everyone goes through. I feel obligated a to make a detailed drawing of my next-door neighbor’s plastic-encased vegetable garden.

My dream is to be crank in the country, not a cog in a city.

Assistants:

Set-up from a month ago, Thanksgiving weekend. Yes, these are the same painted sticks from this piece. I was disappointed that the weather wasn’t gloomy, so I waited till I came back to visit for Christmas, and it was perfectly drizzly and chilly.

No, this isn’t an homage to William Hundley, just something I felt like I had to do.

Some sci-fi for your hi-fi… Halloween dance party!

[DOWNLOAD]

1. All Night Party – Tabu
2. Factory – BlackShag
3. Strangers In A Strange Land (Instrumental) – N.O.I.A.
4. Light Years Away – Warp 9
5. Space Is The Place – Jonzun Crew
6. Feeling Love L.E.B. Harmony
7. Robot Is Systematic – ‘Lectric Workers
8. Sapphire (EscortRemix) – Zombi
9. Disco Computer – Transvolta
10. Mandroid – Gift Of Dreams
11. Tomorrow (Instrumental) – The New Company
12. Carry On Turn Me On – Space
13. Future World – Ganymed
14. Mind Warp – Patrick Cowley
15. Shall Return – The Warlord
16. Love Is – Gino Soccio
17. Pulstar – Hipnosis

Previous Halloween Mixes:

All photography, graphic design, verbiage, digital printing & staple binding personally completed with love by yours truly in Austin, Texas.

24 pages
5″ x 7″
signed limited first edition of 31 prints

Yours for a mere $5.00 per copy via my etsy shop. No postage or shipping fees in the U.S.!

[click pics for full image]

[click pics for full image]

Drawings, zines, photography, graphic design, sculpture [click pics for full image]… a few samples of new work for the show at Satellite Studios on Friday.

Flex-Space at Pump Project’s Satellite Studios presents

New & Recent Works by Rachelle Díaz and Gerardo Arellano
Reception: 8pm-10pm, Friday, October 7 – one weekend only show!

Open Gallery Hours: 12-5pm, Saturday, October 8
1109 Shady Ln., Austin, Texas 78721

Two friends, one long overdue show. I have about an equal amount of wonderful art buddies I’ve met both through random interwebbing and slightly tipsy chattin’ at shows. But the internet folks stand out more so because they’ve put out the extra effort to find people in their locality via good ol’ fashioned sober Google/craigslist/Flickr searches. I first received an email from Gerardo 6-7 years ago, saying something to the effect of:

Hey, I’m a painter. I like your work. I’m new in Austin and looking to meet other painters.

Kind of out of the blue, non? Honestly, I wasn’t sure if it was legit, but I liked what I saw on his website. Months passed… I can’t remember when I actually met Gerardo in person, but I believe it was when I invited him to participate in Vision Riot 2, one of my solo forays into curating (credit to Ricardo Acevedo for the concept). Besides, who in the art world can recall the exact moment you met such-and-such person? It all blurs together.

Much like our work as artists blurs together: painting, photography, graphic design, hair/makeup/fashion styling, community outreach. Aesthetically, our work is both influenced by strong design skills, a love of bright colors, a sense of humor, and a certain studiousness about the world — visually, socially, spiritually — and what it all might mean, or not mean at all. Lighthearted and sincere.

Gerardo will be showing paintings from 2006 to present and a site-specific mural. I’ll have a new series of drawings up and will be debuting a self-published/bound zine, “Hippy Fit,” a personal photographic essay reconciling art, fashion and fitness.

To that effect, we plan to have a good time AND donate 20% of art sales to Casa Marinella, a local organization dedicated to assisting immigrant families. Although this is a one-weekend show, it’s not just gonna be another “hey-look-at-me-I’m-an-artist” East Austin kegger. We both genuinely care about helping people in our community, so friends and guests can not only pick up some great art at an affordable price, but also make a donation to those in need.

What is not awesome about that? Our good friend DJ Rocoroyo will be laying down the soundtrack and we’ll have all the usual refreshments at the reception on Friday night (special thanks to J. Haley and Pump Project Satellite), and possibly leftovers during open gallery hours on Saturday. Come celebrate with us.