artXposium

artXposium 2007 in West Chicago
September 21-23, 2007
http://artxposium.org/

ArtXposium, a 3-day multimedia art experience created by more than 50 artists. Local, National and International talent will come together to display a variety of art work ranging from traditional painting and sculpture, to interactive and multimedia installations.

Some of the artists involved:
Jeffery Byrd, IA
Miguel Cortez, IL
Stephanie Dean, IL
Kristina Dziedzic Wright, IL
Kazuki Eguchi, PA/Japan
Mary Farmilant, IL
Deborah Gúzman Meyer, IL
Annie Heckman, IL
Anni Holm, IL/Denmark
Irena Knezevic, IL
Jennifer Litterer, TX
Lindsay Obermeyer, IL
Irene Pérez, IL/Spain
Mark Porter, IL
Naomi Pridjian, IL
Jason Reblando, IL
Brian Reis, IL
Brandon Sorg, IL
Brian Sorg, IL
Edra Soto Fernandez, IL
Genevieve Waller, NY
Rachel Weaver Rivera, IL
Nyok-Mei Wong, Malaysia
Margaret Wright, IL

ArtXposium
103 W. Washington St.
West Chicago,IL

ArtXposium Hours: Friday 6-11pm, Saturday 12-11pm, Sunday 11-4pm. This event is open to the general public and free (suggested donation $2). In conjunction with ArtXposium, Gallery 200 and West Chicago City Museum will also feature gallery hours. Gallery 200 artists will demonstrate various techniques in art with hands-on experiences for all ages and the West Chicago City Museum will offer tours of its current exhibition.

loose change

Galaxie 500 - Tugboat

Micro worlds 1-3

Micro worlds 1-3
Oil and acrylic on canvas
Miguel Cortez, 2007

Several years ago I did a series of paintings that dealt with imaginary aerial landscapes. With this new series of work I go to the opposite end and imagine microscopic environments plus imaginary abstract forms and shapes. For inspiration I looked at decaying textures that I came across such as found rusted and cracked objects, paint peeling off walls and buildings, oils stains on the pavement and other examples of urban/nature decay. - Miguel Cortez, August 2007

See a review of these paintings in labotanica.org

Aerial landscape 4-5

Aerial landscape 4-5
computer prints with found object
Miguel Cortez, 2007

In my quest to compare shapes and forms that are minute and microscopic I came across a found street object(mounted on wall) with intricate linear patterns that resembled a street map viewed from above. This inspired me to sketch it and I then transferred it to the computer and traced it.This reminded me of the Chaos Theory and Fractals which says that everything is connected to each other from the smallest of atoms/energy/strings to universes and at that different levels forms and shapes seem to repeat themselves. For example moss on the ground may look like an aerial view of a huge forest landscape.

Exist Within Your Timeline 2

Exist Within Your Timeline 2
heat embossed belts and wallet
Miguel Cortez, 2007

Series statement
I've always wondered about humanity's never ending quest to define existence throughout the ages via religion or philosophy and I started asking myself these questions back in May: Where was I before I was born? We are born on such a year and then die on such a year in linear time. Did our consciousness/soul exist before and will it exist after? Or are we limited to exist just in our designated timeline? From these questions arose this series of artwork.

One is a plastic sign, similar to signs you may see in buildings that inform and guide you. The second is poking fun at consumerism and products; How a phrase or brand impulses you to buy certain things. And the third is a simple computer animation which uses technology to blast a message that is forever distorted on screen.