Tabula Raza: Tee's for Teaching by Luis Sahagun

Workshop at the Roswell Museum and Art Center!!

Teddy Bear Printmaking: Stamping Our Alter Egos

2nd Saturday! This Saturday, July 9th! 10am to noon! Free!

with Cate White and Luis Sahagun

This workshop focused on issues of introspection, identity and alter egos. If you had one superpower, what would it be? What makes you unique? We used teddy bears or plush toys to create black and white monoprints that served as a metaphor for our human bodies. The task is to identify our own reality and ideas about ourselves and abstract them to create two dimensional prints that exaggerates our place in this world.

Roswell Museum and Art Center

students grades 3 to 12

Cost: FREE

*  Due to recent tense global issues, around the world we decided to also incorporate an undercurrent of love, compassion and acceptance of identity and diversity.

I had the honor of conducting a workshop for local youth here in Roswell, New Mexico!! My NM bestie and I paired together to bring a lot of excitement and love into the classroom. 2016 has been a difficult year for world and we wanted to slow things down and focus on the beauty of diversity and be an example, even if it was for one day! 

The kids were amazing!!! Since they all pre-registered cate and I made sure to write down all of their names on the black board to make them feel special!! I think it worked!

 

The example print that I made to show the kids was of a teddy bear that had tentacles and a rocket foot! My teddy bear could navigate between the ocean and the skies and it made lots of friends along the way! 

Cate's example was a loving bear that could hear everyones deepest problems and help them vanish them into nothing.

notice my awesome ninja turtle shirt, it was a big hit amongst the kids!!!

We took the kids out of the classroom and had them experience some of the paintings that the museum has on exhibit. We directed their attentions to animals and how their images could be seen as symbols, and metaphors. This really helped get the kids inspired!!

class discussion

kids participated in every step of the process!

positive reinforcement time!!!! :P

final masterpieces

This class was so much fun! The best part was the kids thanking us because they had so much fun and well all the hugs I received may have made me tear up :')

Special thanks to RMAC, & Jessica Parham

Revolutionary art as official culture- An essay/ investigation on the impact of Mexican Murals on the country.

I thought it would be a good idea to share an essay I wrote about the Mexican Muralist. It is not an essay that talks about what the muralist are or did, but rather how their work was shaped into a culture by official government.  The sharing of this essay is simply to do that..share. I am by no means claiming this writing as a thesis, nor as a means to an end.   Perhaps it would just taste good with your coffee on a bored and lonely morning....

Hope its worth the read..

Mexican muralism has become known as revolutionary art.  Its visual language has become a symbol for Mexicanidad, labeling what is Mexican.  This idealization of a new Mexican culture was not created by accident, rather it was strategically imposed onto the country.  In my essay, I will speak about the networks/connections that took place by President Alvaro Obregon, the minister of public education- Jose Vasconcelos, and the Mexican Muralist “los tres grandes” (Jose Clemente Orozco, Diego Rivera, and David Alfaro Siqueiros) after the Mexican Revolution.  In addition, I will write about how murals and museums played a large role in creating the concept of mestizaje, a cultural blending between Europeans and the Indigenous population (Spanish and Indians) to unify the country.

General Alvaro Obregon became president in 1920, following the conclusion of the Mexican Revolution.  According to Robin Adele Greely in her article titled Muralism and the States in the Post-Revolution Mexico, Obregon realized that the country needed to be reconstructed due to its devastating effects of the war, however the reconstruction did not solely depend on economic recovery but it also required a “comprehensive manipulation of symbols of Mexican identity on both cultural and political levels“.  In his first year of office Obregon appointed philosopher Jose Vasconcelos as Minister of Public Education. 

Vasconcelo’s initiated a program with the concept of Mestizaje.  He believed that the artist-intellectual was a “redeemer” for the oppressed.  “Art and knowledge must serve to improve the condition of the people”- Vasconcelos.  It is important to note that Vasconcelos was a Criollo, a  Mexican of pure Spanish blood with a philosophy that dealt with the idea that racially mixed people were superior to pure races.  Obregon and Vasconcelos both were true believers in the political power that the arts possessed.

In the book Mural Paintings and Social revolution in Mexico, the author Leonard Folgariat explains that in the pursuit of Vasconcelos nationalistic goal to define what is Mexico, he was granted by Obregon 33 million pesos and an extra 30 thousand pesos to be spent at his discretion.  Vasconcelos used the money to decorate buildings with mural paintings.

In a letter from Vasconcelos to Alma Reed an American researcher of Mexican art, he wrote “ the majority of the painters under our department worked under orders. Left to himself, the painter does not know what to do with his brush…..”.  By commissioning Muralist to deliver his message of Mestizaje he believed that the spirit of the people would be lifted.  The artist hired were many, however I will focus mostly on David Alfaro Siqueiros, Jose Clemente Orozco and Diego Rivera. 

The murals produced during 1920-24 strategically omitted violent imagery or any reference to the Revolution.  The murals became more of a history allegorical type of paintings.  A perfect example of such style may be found in Diego Rivera’s mural titled Creation (1922-23). 

Located at the National Preparatory School in Mexico, the mural speaks about the biblical story of Adam and Eve.  Its figurative imagery relates very closely to a Italian classical style.  However the figures seem to be depicted as a cross breed between the two cultures- European and the Indigenous.  Anna Indych-Lopez stated in her article titled Horrores, that the mural visually had to deny the horrors of the war.  Rivera’s indegenismo style of painting- chose not to represent revolutionary acts to the public.  Again, public murals that were commissioned by Vasconcelos prohibited the use of violent imagery. 

In the article titled Muralism and the State in Post-Revolution Mexico, the author Greely stated that the mural by Rivera titled Creation “emerged as the principal symbol of Vasconcelos’ mystical nationalism…in order to give art a redemptive, regenerative role in post-Revolutionary Mexico“.  Vasconcelos was also quoted saying “Diego danced to the tune that I played!…Rivera painted in a docile and submissive manner whatever he was ordered to.”

Another Example of a Mural that was dictated by the Vasconcelos is Maternity.  This mural was painted by Jose Clemente Orozco, at the National Preparatory School in Mexico City.  Maternity May be described as a mural that addresses Italian Renaissance paintings.  It is a figurative mural with six women and a baby that takes center stage.  The blonde Madonna is sitting in the middle of the mural nude and holding a baby. The other women are depicted as angels and are hovering over the Madonna. This mural similar to Creation by Diego Rivera, does not make any reference to violence.  Instead it reflects on a non-indigenous beauty, a nude female figure with European features and blonde hair.  The attention that highlights European beauty is what makes Orozco’s mural different than Riveras‘.      

Robin Adele Greely describes three reasons that Obregon and Vasconcelos created government patronage for.  First, it was to communicate to the world that Mexico was modernizing, Secondly, to “use Muralism internally to construct an ideology of cross-class national consensus” and Thirdly to include the peasantry masses as a symbol of a unified state.  This symbol would be urban and rural and therefore unifying the classes under the term Mexicanidad.  The Obregon and Vasconcelos artistic strategy lasted less than four years.

After 1923, Vasconcelos artistic dictatorship and his strategy ultimately came to an end with Obregon term in office.  Obregon was subjected to internal and external political and economical pressures and in 1924 Obregon was forced to name Plutarco Elias Calles as his successor.  In addition, Vasconcelos went into exile and Obregon put a halt to all the mural projects.

December 9, 1923 dates the genesis of El Machete, the Syndicate of Technical Workers, Painters and Sculptures.  “To the Indian race humiliated for centuries; to soldiers made executioners by the praetorians; to workers and peasants beaten by the greed of the rich; to intellectuals uncorrupted by the bourgeoisie” - excerpt  from the manifesto.  The author of the content was David Alfaro Siqueiros and among the signers were Xavier Guerrero, Fermin Revueltas, Diego Rivera, Ramon Guadarrama, Jose Clemente Orozco, German Cueto, and Carlos Merida.

 It is important to note that shortly before Vasconcelos gets forced into exile, the manifesto El Machete is published.  Was the manifesto a response by the unionized artist to the unstable Mexican Government that they would no longer have their art context be corrupted?  Lets remember that at this time artists were no longer receiving any patronage from the Mexican Government so does that show that the Manifesto posed little (if any risk) in being published.  Meaning that if patronage was already cancelled then they had nothing to lose with their rebellious manifesto.  Or perhaps the Muralist felt that enough was enough and they would no longer put up with the governments artistic dictatorship.  I believe this is a question worth asking.

During the Post-Vasconcelos era the muralist began individual endeavors.  According to Greely and other sources Orozco began his series of drawings, Horrors of the revolution, which were the exact counter part of the murals previously painted.  Rivera continued to develop his stylized, now iconic images of workers and peasants.  Siqueiros put away his brush and decided to engage into political activism.  It is also noted by Greely that Orozco exiled himself into the United States.

The art work that is created after 1924 is important to discuss because it reflects the artists true intentions to paint “for the people” of Mexico and it highlights their feelings of turmoil after the revolution.  This is especially true for Orozco and Siqueiros, since they both witnessed the revolution first hand.  According to author Anna Indych-Lopez, Orozco became an illustrator for a newspaper called La Vanguardia, during the Mexican revolution.  This gives evidence that Orozco lived the revolution at first hand.

Los Horrores de la Revolucion was a series of ink drawings that Orozco created as a commissioned piece for Anita Brenner, an American journalist and writer of Mexican artist.  These drawing were produced from 1926-1928.  Orozco finally makes the revolution his subject matter in his art and depicts it as truth- violent and bloody. 

Orozco’s ink drawing series may easily be compared with Goya’s, Los Desastres de la Guerra (The Disasters of War).  The Rape, is a black and white drawing from the series that depicts a half-naked women, pinned to the floor by soldier.  A bottle, and two soldier hats are found on the floor of the room where the disaster took place.  The drawing contains a lot of tension and violence described as the visual destruction of the revolution by Anna Indych-Lopez.       

While Orozco was creating his commissioned in drawings, Diego Rivera was could be found in The United States.  In December 1931, Rivera had an exhibition at the new Museum of Modern Art in New York City.  “His exhibition at the preeminent museum represents one of the most significant events of the 1930s through which to examine not only his appeal to audiences in the United States but also the way Mexican muralism came to be understood by and exhibited and promoted to U.S. residents.”-Anna Indych-Lopez .     

Finally in 1928, Alvaro Obregon’s successor Plutarco Elias Calles started a campaign for social renewal, the last year of his presidential term.  His idea for social unification was to finish rebuilding the Palace of Fine Arts.  The goal for the palace was to house national dance, theater, music, and fine art.

If we interpret the manifesto El Machete correctly it would be clear to assume that the muralist had a straight-forward agenda since before of the inauguration of the Palace of Fine Art in Mexico City.  In their declaration they stated they would no longer be subordinated by government and they would not allow their subject matter to be corrupted.

Three of the signers of the manifest El Machete would eventually emerge as Los Tres Grandes.  Diego Rivera, David Alfaro Siqueiros, and Jose Clemente Orozco.  However according to Mark Coffey in his book titled How a Revolutionary Art Became Official Culture the Mexican government commissioned Jose Clemente Orozco and Diego Rivera to execute permanent frescos in the palace.  However, throughout the decades more muralist such as David Alfaro Siqueiros, Rufino Tamayo and Jorge Gonzalez Camarena would also added to the list of commissioned artists.

The Palace of Fine Arts in Mexico City was inaugurated on September 29, 1934.  Permanently painted at the Palace of Fine Arts in Mexico City is the controversial Rockefeller Mural or Man at the Crossroads.  The infamous controversy over the portrait of Lenin that Rivera painted in the New York version of the Mural was destroyed.  However, Rivera was given an area inside the palace to re-execute the mural. 

In the Palace you will also find the mural titled Catharsis painted by Orozco.  The mural contains elements of the Futurist art genre.  Mechanical destruction, prostitution, and violence would be the best way to describe its subject matter.  Orozco’s mural is very different that Rivera’s in a couple different manners.  Orozco’s mural deals with a more confrontational and negative view of contemporary Mexico, while Rivera deals more with agriculture and symbols.

Alejandro Anreus argues in his article Los Tres Grandes, that although the three muralist were tied by the manifesto and its ideology- they individually had radically different views of art and politics.  And as a result they chose to rarely been seen together in public. 

In 1947, Mexican President Miguel Aleman was able to successfully have their pictures taken side by side.  However the picture taken was a production of a publicity stunt done by the President to represent them as a trinity of Mexican mural painters, as described by Anreus.  Furthermore, Anreus also mentions how the three muralist were always in argument with each other since they were divided by their profound ideologies and stylistic differences.

Anreus uses a an article written by Siqueiros to continue his argument of the feud between the three muralist.  The article was published on May 29, 1934, ten years after the manifesto was signed.  According to Anreus, Siqueiros defined Rivera’s art as “retarded, incapable of working outside the traditional fresco, and lacking the technically inventive capacity needed for revolutionary art“.   

In December of 1935, Rivera published a retaliation to Siqueiros article.  The response was published in Argentina’s magazine Claridad.  Rivera calls Siqueiros an “opportunist,…. and an artist who had not yet produced a consistent body of work in a mural format“.   Rivera defends his work by stating that it is his right to sell to capitalist patrons, because this would allow light to shine on his work in a non-socialist world. 

Ultimately, the feud although important to note does not necessarily depict the muralist as enemies.  At Rivera’s death, Siqueiros praised his colleague and in addition according to Arneus each muralist wrote or dedicated autobiographies or memoirs and felt strongly that in writing they could set the record straight. 

What is interesting about this feud between Rivera and Siqueiros is that there is a clear path of connection that may be seen as a residue of the event.  From Siqueiros article being published in the issue of New Masses  Rivera’s response in Claridad magazine in Argentina.  This linage of writing indicates that publicity was active for the Muralist in the Americas. 

Siqueiros was the only muralist that actually fought in the Mexican Revolution.  Therefore, it may be easier for a muralist viewer to note the differences in Siqueiros and Rivera’s visual language.  For example, In Siqueiros mural From the Porfiriato to the Revolution is a perfect example of Siqueiros ideology.  The mural symbolizes the “will of the people”.  Composed with  peasants gathering and mobilizing with sticks as weapons to confront the soldiers the mural stands as a symbol for revolt.  The workers faces are painted with anguish as in stating enough is enough, the composition contains direction given by a fallen peasant that is now being carried by the marching masses. 

If any muralist carried a more straight-forward depiction of Mestizaje, that would be Diego Rivera.  Diego Rivera arguably the most popular of the three big muralist focused his murals on meshing peasants and workers a cross-class ideology that Vasconcelos concept dealt with.  As stated before Rivera was in Europe during the Revolution.  He was seen as a Mexican painter that adopted a French style and a painter that was disconnected with his country.  Even in the beginning of the patronage provided by Vasconcelos, Rivera was forced to live in an rural town for a month in an attempt to have him re-connect with his country.  Only after that was he able to receive patronage from Obregon and Vasconcelos.

In Conclusion, Mexican muralism has proven to be one of the greatest modern art movements of the twentieth century.  Its genesis may even be compared to the Parisian Academy, which its main purpose was to produce propaganda.  President Alvaro Obregon and philosopher Jose Vasconcelos Mestizaje concept initiated a visual language that became a national identity for Mexico.

The Mestizaje concept was initially intended to hide the true realities of an unstable and corrupted Mexican government by  providing “ideal images” of cross-class integration to the public. By painting murals that omitted violent images and visually represented cross-class assimilation, it was thought that peasants and workers were less likely to revolt against its government. 

Vasoconcelos and Obregons initial project became the origin of the Mexican mural movement.  Their network and the patronage that they provided to the artist allowed for artist to meet and work together.  Coincidentally or not, after the conclusion of Obregons presidency in 1924 mural artists unionized and wrote a manifesto title El Machete.  This manifesto was created to represent the artists ideals and to state the fact that they would no longer be corrupted by their patrons and that they were making murals “for the people”.   

It is made clear in Anreus article that “los tres grandes” ideologies were not the same and that the idea of authenticity also came into question.  Diego Rivera was in Europe when the revolution was taking place, Jose Clemente Orozco participated in the revolution as a cartoonist for a magazine titled La Vanguardia , and David Alfaro Siqueiros was the only muralist to have fought in the war.  This created tension between the three muralist as to who’s art was more valid.

Those facts call into question on how in today’s art world “los tres grandes” or the big three are packaged together as a movement.  Similar to Leja’s argument on how Abstract Expressionism was packaged so that it was made easier for the rest of the world to acknowledge as powerful and important.  It was too important for Mexico to be able to convey to the world that they were civilized and modern.  And they did that by unifying the muralist into one group that represented Mexicanidad- what it means to be Mexican. 

Mexican culture has always been visual rather than literary.  Perhaps this is the reason why Mexican muralism was able to be transformed into a revolutionary art form that became official culture. 

***pictures were taken by me during my visit to Mexico City in 2014.  I added them to make the reading more fun, but they do not necessarily correspond to the essay***

Between Culture and Form

Luis Sahagun

January 2015
Title: Between Culture and Form
300 lbs of concrete mix


Here is an installation I did for an invitational art exhibition hosted by Lion Vs Gorilla!! Super fun to do, but a lot of work. about 15 hours installation time, 300 lbs of concrete.  Not sure what was harder the installation or the de-install. Nevertheless, it was a super fun exhibit!! I am happy with the documentation shots, I decided to do a blur filter on the background to make the ephemeral sculpture "pop" a little more.
The exhibit was held at the Hairpin Art center in Chicago (avondale/logan square).
Statement:
The raw nature of concrete reminds me of the strength and character found in an urban street. The idea of grit is my utopia, a place where form and culture connect to define a persona. 

Title: Between Culture and Form
300 lbs of concrete mix

Title: Between Culture and Form
300 lbs of concrete mix

Title: Between Culture and Form
300 lbs of concrete mix

In my world- expressive mark making (NIU)

I am at NIU!!! Holla!

Soooo I have not blogged in a super long time. I have been really busy, as of August I have been at Northern Illinois University in pursuit of my MFA.

I spent a year at GSU as an MA graduate and with the artistic guidance of Javier Chavira I was able to build my portfolio and get accepted to NIU for my MFA. :)

Time flies!! I cant believe how fast time is going by. I am living in a new place, going to a new school, and making new friends.. I am going to cry..Dear Diary... lol

I am in love with my new life. I miss my family and friends, I miss Union Street Gallery and I miss working with Jeff Stevenson at the Visual Art Gallery!! But this whole concept of me sleeping whenever I want, making art as much as I want..well that is just pretty darn amazing.. I want time to slow down, I am in a three year program and I do not want it to go by fast.. Real life STINKS!!!

I have met amazing people here at NIU, and an amazing artist and teacher Katie Kahn :) every teacher here has been great and I cant wait to meet and study under other teachers next semester!!

anyways enough talk...Here are pics of the Art that I have been making at NIU!! yes..in my very own studio...holla!!

enjoy the pics...

 This is the first time in a while that I have drawn on paper.. it was a lot easier than drawing on cardboard I tell you.. It is 6 ft tall and 3 ft wide (i think). I will get into the concept of the subject matter in another post :)

 

Boxes!!!!! Staying true to my first love- Cardboard!!! I am slowly making more sculptural work. still being expressive and having fun!! I found that living in dekalb forces me to recall childhood memories..most if not all of the work I did this first semester is all about memories I have..This is also about 5ft wide and 3ft tall.

 Staying true to the Technique Mixte.. Here I am just exploring and learning more about the actual technique of glazing.

 More Technique mixte :) adding color to my work with the use of collage! Thinking about negative space and connecting shapes to other shapes..puzzle like.

This is modified image in Photoshop... FUN!



I will soon be posting a video of a performance / sculpture that I did.!!!!

Holla!!!

Threshold Exhibition

Union Street Gallery presents : Threshold April 13- May 5th , Opening Reception Friday April 13th- 6-9pm

"Threshold features 8 emerging artists from Illinois. These artists are at the beginning of their careers, but their work is beyond expectations. These artists have creating smart, dynamic and cohesive bodies of work and have already begun to establish themselves as professional  artists. Work exhibiting is exciting, engaging, provoking, cynical, whimsical, nostalgic, and fun.

The opening reception will be Friday April 13, 6-9pm. This exhibit and opening reception are free and open to the public. Many of the exhibiting artists will be present to engage the audience." -as described in Union Street Gallery News letter

http://www.unionstreetgallery.org/

I have the honor of exhibiting my current work at this exhibit. The opening reception will be this friday, April 13th from 6-9pm.  The list of artist may be found below!! Its going to be a great exhibit, the work from the other artist that are also exhibiting is AWESOME!!! check them out below!!

Jonathan Casserilla http://www.jonathancasserilla.com/index2.php#/home/
Adrian Chin http://adrian-chin.com/home.html
Rebecca Chmielewski http://rebeccachmielewski.com/home.html
Lauren Harlowe http://www.laurenharlowe.com/paintings/older-works/4840392
Hector Manuel Hernandez http://hectormanuelhernandez.com/home.html
Luis Sahagun http://www.wix.com/lsahagun2/artanddesign
Amanda Voltz  website n/a
Michael Webster  http://michaeldwebster.com/section/272696_Mark_of_Work.html

Botanic / Organic 2012

 Botanic / Organic- National Exhibition 2012

February 29-March 31 | 2012  

Juried by Elizabeth Whiting, Curator for the Union League Club, Chicago, IL

Opening Reception Friday March 2nd | 6-9pm

This was a great exhibition! Alot of governors state university student artist work were in the exhibit, along with the university's alumni and current professors.  You may go to this link to see the online exhibition as well  http://www.unionstreetgallery.org/botanicorganic2012.htm

It was exciting for me to hear that Juror Elizabeth Whiting selected my work to receive Honorable Mention!! Thats a total of 2 awards this year!! haha sry can you tell its my first art awards :)

But please check out the online exhibition there are some pretty awesome pieces there!!

G.I JOE- COBRA "In progress"

SOOoo im drawing a 5 foot tall Cobra G.I Joe soldier..it is about 95 % done, I need to go back in and render things a bit tighter (in some areas). this was truly a project about process, and alot of time management. Working 2 jobs and making time for this project was a challenge. But one that I was able to handle! I divided it into sessions, a total of 7 session to add up to roughly 25 hours or drawing time. YIKES!

Its actually about the time it takes for me to do a painting as well, actually a painting probably takes alot longer! anyways, this was nuts, it was fun and i hope people like it. I have been getting pretty good responses from the people that have seen it thus far! So i Hope some more of that to come.

OK! concept: the idea is about. how "life" represented by the COBRA soldier  is brutal! so when we are children, our way of coping with problems is through play-  play becomes our meditation.   Our childhood however gets almost raped and attacked by real life tragedies and this is what the toy represents.  this piece is only 1/3 done I will have more soldiers in a Swat like position getting ready to attack more happy toys, video game and cartoon characters.  So hopefully there will be a huge contrast between color in the piece and also happy vs evil.

At this point the toy by itself doesnt convey the message- so for now its a piece that may be shown alone, kinda becomes a one liner.. but i think its still effective by itself, its drawn well enough to stand alone. People are sucked into it because the fact thats its a drawing of a huge toy! people can relate to it, and you can even argue that conclusions could be made as to what this toy (alone) represents. I think its successful. well see what others believe.

what do you all believe??!

2012 Illinois Community College Juried Exhibition

The Visual Arts Gallery located in Governors State University,(where I work as a graduate gallery assistant)is having their 2012 Annual Community College Juried Exhibition. It is for all student artist enrolled in a community college in Illinois. This has been a super tough exhibit to organize but it has also been a lot of fun and a great learning experience (working with young students). I was responsible for designing the Prospectus, promoting, doing all the data entry for the exhibit, and well all the good stuff that goes into doing a large exhibition. The exhibit is up and running, there is some awesome artwork come check it out!! Reception and awards ceremony is Saturday March 3rd from 1-4pm.. Here is a link to the exhibit facebook page http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.339432779420521.84788.164905230206611&type=1 ICCJE Numbers 2012 Entries: 236 art works from 93 students from 9 schools 11% College of DuPage 1% Heartland 1% John Wood 23% Joliet Junior College 31% Kankakee Community College 1% Malcolm X 9% Parkland 10% Prairie State Community College 8% South Suburban Community College 12% [unknown – entry forms incomplete or missing] Selected Work: 55 Juror’s selection (55 art works from 34 students from 7 schools) 23% Percent of total entries (77% were eliminated from the competition) 6 College of Dupage 0 Heartland 3 John Wood 17 Joliet Junior College 8 Kankakee Community College 0 Malcolm X 11 Parkland 6 Prairie State Community College 4 South Suburban Community College 0 [unknown – entry forms incomplete or missing]

"Urban Realism" an exhibition by Luis Sahagun- Jan 19th

Using the street environment as my inspiration allows me to blur the line between high and low art. By using urban materials and a contemporary process I create a merge between academia and street art. Furthermore, I connect my artwork with historical context such as Greek / Roman mythology and symbolic meanings from nature. The outcome challenges the audience to re-evaluate their preconceived notions of which materials are accepted as beautiful in art. It also allows them to examine antecedent subject matter with a new and distinctively personal interpretation.- Luis Sahagun

Holla at yo boi! k sorry had too much coffee. Just wanted to post that I will be having a Solo exhibition titled Urban Realism at Moraine Valley Community College in the atrium walls located at 9000 W. College Pkwy., Palos Hills, IL 60465.

The reception will be Thursday Jan 19th from 2-4pm. If any ones to come out and say hello I will be there.

My work will be located at the atrium of the building that houses the theatre and gallery at Moraine Valley Community College. There are a total of 8 52" x 52" display cases- about 3 inches deep. My work is in there and quite honestly it made for a strong exhibit.

You can find a 50" x 50" chicago heights hydra, which is a personal interpretation of how i deal and attempt to over come or kill this chicago heights hydra of a beast! Mostly in reference to government officials like police, ice and the court system..

Just keeping it real..haha



For more details on the exhibit you can go to the Moraine Valley website at http://www.morainevalley.edu/fpac/Season/gallery_atrium.htm

for more details on my work you can go to my website at http://www.wix.com/lsahagun2/artanddesign

or at my behance portfolio at http://www.behance.net/gallery/Urban-realism/2756943

"I Shall be released" an exhibition at Union Street Gallery

I Shall Be Released, is on the 2nd floor at Union Street Gallery, runs January 11-February 11, 2012

Juried exhibit featuring 30 artists from the Midwest chosen by juror Sergio Gomez of 33 Contemporary.

This is a great exhibit taking place at Union Street Gallery, yours truly had the honor of being accepted to the exhibit. I actually received honorable mentioned for my work titled "Janus on Cardboard". You guys should def come check this exhibit out.

The reception passed already :( sorry, but there is still time to go see the exhibitions.

You can also find my painting titled "prisoner" which is a work in progress , in the front window display at Union Street Gallery.

awesome show! don't miss out!

Holla!



I Shall Be Released Exhibiting Artists
Scott Anderson
Aaron Coleman
Cleveland Dean
Sherri Denualt
Babara Edwards
Tanya Gadbaw
Margie Glass-Sula
Diana Leviton Gondek
Hai Ri Han
Sarah Knill
Liz Kolben
Marina Kuchinski
Jonathan McFadden
Jennifer Moore
Nancy Mueller
Diane Ramos
Barry Reithmeier
Stephan Roll
Marina Ross
Luis Sahagun
William Sclater
Jessica Segal
Eva D. Smith
Mimi Solum
Amelin Spinney
Aaron Tinder
Jennifer Webster
Michael Weigman
Margi Weir
Peter Wilhelm

Janus on Cardboard-

The concept is Janus the greek god of beginnings and transitions. This is a self-portrait, personal piece of my transition of letting go the past and moving forward.

Its literal transitions from layer to layers- from the wood pieces, to cardboard then to gesso the charcoal transitions and adapts to its new texture overcoming the obstacles presented.

release of freedom!!

"office art" and fighting insanity.. battle continues!

Heres an update on my travels in the art world.

Since I have been working 2 jobs and going to school full time, my life has been crazzzzy! Im currently working for a non-for-profit organization, and at the art gallery in governors state university. And and and I also go to school for painting and mixed medium.. my life is full going at full speed and its loco aka crazy!

Im sooo glad that my art is truly healing for me, so it keeps me sane. At my day job during mini breaks that we have I make what I call office art..haha simple pure fun things, easy sketches, I’ll get nail polish and make a transfer, add some white out and highlighters and we got us some art!everything on cardboard of course, from tissue boxes, post it notes, etc..lol

So here are pics of this “office art”…enjoy!

Artist Statement!!!

If you tremble with indignation at every injustice, then you are a comrade of mine-Ernesto Che Guevara.

My artwork takes a critical view of social, political, and cultural issues. Good vs. Evil and an introduction to an invisible war that justifies pain, suffrage and the difficulties of human life. Often time’s humanity faces questions of spirituality, moral beliefs and deities. I attract attention to these issues and tell the stories that I believe should be heard.

I attempt to deliver the stories by marrying academia and street art. Consequently, the artwork then contains historical references with urban materials and processes. I do this in an attempt to attract multiple audiences, especially younger generations that may be drawn by the popularity of street art but have yet to understand the entirety of art- which may be reached through university studies.

While I use a variety of materials and processes in each project my methodology is consistent. I strategically apply a design process. The process begins with an idea, which then is fueled by extensive research. Learning what artwork has been previously constructed allows me to further enhance and develop my artwork.

Currently I am working on assemblages that are composed of burned cardboard, screen prints, spray paint, photographic image transfers, acrylic/oil paint, and found objects.