HARDCORE PUNK FEST IN LA VILLITA

Tonight was awesome! I spent most of the night listening to the best latino hardcore punk bands coming out from the ashes of "Los Crudos" circa early 1990s. Los Crudos are an icon and inspired Rage Against The Machine, among many other neo, wannabe latino punk commercial rock groups since the mid 90s. I was at the first "los Crudos" show and it was at my friend's basement, so to go see a hardcore punk show now....i felt so old among the young kids. Anyways below are pics from tonight.

another recycle piece

I promise this will be the last piece of art in my "recycle" series. So far I have done bumper stickers(see previous posts), digital photo documentation of the sickers in public, a computer drawing(below) and now this internet flash file. Click on the image...Enjoy!

art statement:
Recycling is used to describe a series of activities that includes collecting recyclable materials that would otherwise be considered waste, sorting and processing recyclables into raw materials and manufacturing the raw materials into either making the same product(closed loop) or new products(open loop). An example of open-loop recycling is using plastic bottles to make pipes. Artists use these processes all the time. Some come up with an idea and create work using a certain style/media and repeat this for a long time to please his/her commercial gallery/collectors(this is closed loop recycling).While others may gather old ideas, twist and turn them, throw them up in the air and some new concept pops up(open loop recycling).

Diverseworks benefit

Recycle your ideas
computer drawing/print
miguel cortez, 2006


Diverseworks in Houston is having a benefit to raise funds in July. I was invited and this is the print that I will donate.


DiverseWorks is a non-profit art center dedicated to presenting new visual, performing, and literary art. DiverseWorks is a place where the process of creating art is valued and where artists can test new ideas in the public arena. By encouraging the investigation of current artistic, cultural and social issues, DiverseWorks builds, educates, and sustains audiences for contemporary art.

my other sticker

one of my stickers in action, may 26, 2006.

tonight's art opening @ polvo

End of May: Mirtes Zwierzynski and Rebecca Wolfram
Opening Friday May 26, from 6pm-10pm
May 26 - June 17, 2006

mini-exhibit: samples from the polvo archives/collection
flatscreen DVD: Lucreccia Quintanilla (Melbourne, Australia)
SEE WWW.POLVO.ORG for more details




















































































At left below, Jose David(art director for Calles y Sueños, an alternative space circa 1990s in Pilsen. He closed it in 2000) alongside Mirtes Zwierzynski, one of the artists from tonight's opening.










































Rebecca Wolfram(left), the other artist from tonight's opening, writer Kari Lyderson(center) and writer Sally Forutan(right)

another brand new print

iPod projector

iPod projector
new from Apple!

Forget trying to watch videos on a tiny screen. This new and tiny iPod can project video with clarity up to a 12" x 15" on any white surface. visit www.apple.com for more info.

Austin Chronicle review

I am currently in this show in Austin, Tx. and the local art critic wrote something about the show. You can see images in a previous post(see studio 107 opening below).

Slick, Furry, Lush, Line
By nikki moore, Austin Chronicle
Through June 1, 2006

“Slick, Furry, Lush, Line”, while a scintillating title to roll over the tongue, only skims the surface of the textures explored in the works of artists Young-Min Kang, Candace M. Briceno, Jeongmee Yoon and Miguel Cortez for Studio 107’s current show. Take, for example, the cultural and economic textures evoked by Young-Min Kang in the Chinese Trojan Horse, (2006). Using chopsticks, carefully broken and meticulously placed, Young-Min Kang has reconstructed an early 20th century style railroad bridge bearing up under the gallop of horse made by the same method at ten times the scale. Clearly the title of the piece looks back to the Trojan horse of war which, according to myth slipped inside the gates of Troy under the guise of a gift, and unleashed a hoard of Greeks who then proceeded to level the city. Yet Young-Min Kang also calls up the image of the work horse in his consideration of what is in play when America eagerly accepts Chinese goods and labor while bulwarking our immigration systems to a previously unparalleled extent.

And speaking of unparalleled, Jeongmee Yoon’s work for Studio 107 is a disquieting group of photographs featuring children and their collections. Far from the nostalgic and seemingly archaic bug collections and baseball card sets one might think of when pairing kids and their passions, Yoon’s photographs, including Yehyun and her pink things, (2006) and Yae Chan and his blue things, (2006) are explorations of the color-coded and primarily plastic preoccupations of children seemingly too young to own so much. While child directed marketing agencies would surely see these photos as a victory for their team, the full collection of Yoon’s work, including 20 images of children nearly lost amongst their own painfully gender coded gear is startling. The intersection of color and content in these images unveils a cultural pattern that is not easy to dismiss.

In the now more familiar medium of computer renderings, Miguel Cortez has put together what Studio 107 gallery owner Liz Joblin describes as works in meant-to-be-comforting “Martha Stewart Colors” that are nothing near comfortable. In another interesting consideration of cultural phenomena, and at the extreme of this rethink of the Jetson’s humble abode, Cortez’ sharp lined, auto-techno-scientific styled graphics point out an interesting disconnect between the false nostalgia of the American furniture and design markets – think Pottery Barn and Restoration Hardware - and the high-tech industry’s state of the art.

Moving from Cortez’ artificial interior landscapes to abstract exterior landscape evocations, former AMOA 22 to Watch artist Candace M. Briceno’s Marden, (2003) uses felt on canvas to create a mass of small rolls of fabric that look so fun to touch that Studio 107 had to move a sofa in front of the piece to keep bodies and hands at a safe distance from the work. While a strong statement about both the comforting materials and their calming repetition, Joblin’s furniture move is a reminder that Studio 107 is a converted apartment, one of many at the corner of 5th and Brazos, which are newly conglomerating into a small strip of commercial galleries in Austin’s developing downtown. This growing commercial art scene is both a tangible opportunity for collectors and part of many recent and promising developments for artists who make both their home and their work here in Austin.

new photos

I printed bumper stickers for a show in Houston(see previous post) and kept some for myself so I pasted one on my way to work this morning at 6:46am. I pasted two others around Pilsen and must photograph them before they are removed.



















I came across these two also this morning and was fascinated by the form, color and texture.

Fluid Geometry and Word!

If by any chance you are in Houston this friday, check out this show that I am in.

miguel cortez
------------------


Vine Street Studios 1113 Vine St Houston, TX 77002
Fluid Geometry and Word!
Opening Friday May 19, 6-8 PM

Fluid Geometry refers to work that uses geometric design as pictorial base. Unlike pure minimalists, these artists use geometric forms merely as building blocks in order to expand their vision of concreteness and precision into an investigation of hybrid concepts and structures.

Artists:
John Adelman
Harvey Bott
Wade Carter
Garland Fielder
Mike Hollis
Mick Johnson
Arielle Masson
Jusin Quinn

Word! uses the physicality of letter design and its linguistic connotation as a point of departure for the exploration of everyday language ñ both symbolic and pictorial. This exhibition within an exhibition is conceived as a variation of the main theme of Fluid Geometry. Thus, presenting the orderly sequence of written language as a geometric archetype.

Artists:
Art Prostitute (Dallas)
William Betts
Todd Camplin (Dallas)
Miguel Cortez (Chicago)
Michael Henderson (Huntsville)
Skeez 181
Deb Sokolow (Chicago)
Frances Trotter (Austin)
Peter Tucker (Austin)

Fluid Geometry and Word! are the 2nd exhibition of the FOCUS series at Vine Street Studios.

Exhibition continues through June 24, 2006
Work on view Monday through Friday 10AM - 5PM

For more Information contact Info@RudolphProjects.com
http://rudolphprojects.com/

Studio 107 opening

I am currently in a show in Austin and it opened this past sunday. Below are some images from the opening.


Slick, Furry, Lush, Line
Works by Candace M. Briceño, Miguel Cortez,
Young-Min Kang, and Jeongmee Yoon

Reception: Sunday May 14, 2006
3:00pm to 6:00pm at Studio 107
Exhibtion runs May 14 - June 16 2006

Studio 107
411 Brazos, #107
Austin TX 78701
512-477-9092
Gallery Hours are
Tuesday – Saturday,
1pm – 6pm or
by appointment

Entorno: Grass Grows Greener on the Other Side

“ENTORNO: grass grows greener on the other side” is an exhibition of Chicago based visual artists, community activists and scholars focused on the idea of “environment,” using Chicago’s landscape and its resident communities as the central theme. The city of Chicago has been going through rapid urban renewal fostered by huge promises to change the city for the betterment of its residents. In reality the persistent issues of displacement, economic class segregation, racism and ageism have come into sharper focus as a result of these renewed initiatives. This exhibition examines how visual artists, community activists and scholars look into their own communities and through their expression, critique the city government’s reactions to these crucial concerns.

Located in Chicago’s Pilsen neighborhood, Polvo is an alternative space operated by the Polvo Art Collective. This exhibition includes work by the following participants: D. Denenge Akpem, AREA Chicago, Amy Castaneda, Citizenship and Voter Training School (CIVITAS), Miguel Cortez, Anida Yoeu Esguerra, Little Village Environmental Justice Organization, Jesus Macarena-Avila, Naomi Martinez, Mess Hall, PERRO (Pilsen Environmental Rights and Reform Organization), Pilsen Ayuda, Elvia Rodriguez-Ochoa, Bernard Williams.

This show will run until May 20. Polvo is located at 1458 W. 18th St 1R and is open Saturdays from noon to 5 p.m. or by appointment. For more information, call (773) 344-1940 or visit www.polvo.org

Happy Mother's Day!!

I visited my parents for most of saturday afternoon, so I had to close Polvo for the day. Above is my cute son Xul eating ravioli. My father who in the past 5 years or so has discovered his creativity...and writes poems now, wrote a very heartfelt poem for my mother. My younger sister Roxanne(below) read it to my mother.

Prospectus Gallery opening

I walked to Prospectus Gallery, which is 3 blocks away from me to attend my friend Mark Nelson's opening. On the way I took these 2 shots.





























Prospectus is a commercial gallery that recently reopened and a lot of the work they show is very 2d and not very challenging. Mark has done wonderful installations in the past and to see his paintings is different, and he is great at it also...there were just too many. All were too close together.I felt bombarded visually and that took away from the work.

michael piazza's funeral

Today myself, Elvia and our son Xul attended Michael Piazza's funeral to pay our respects to a colleage and close friend of many years. Elvia went over to the mic and did a wonderful speech. She is great and I also have great respect for Michael and was looking forward to seeing him at the next Polvo opening since it includes Rebecca Wolfram, an artist who was also part of the Axe Street Arena collective during the 1980s. He was also going to help out with Elizam Escobar's(another axe st arena artist) show in June. His death came as a shock to us. I could not believe it when Mirtes Zwierzinski emailed me the news. I saw him a month ago and never expected him to die so soon.

But since I love some pop culture, all this sadness reminded me of the final episode of the tv show "six feet under" and I remember the last 6 minutes. It is one of the best endings for a tv series; you see the future of the characters and the year and circumstance in which they die...awesome....sorry for that reference...i just had that damn Sia song in my mind all day.... The picture above and below is of our travel back to Chicago from the suburbs.

new art piece...1

bell-->
digital print 34" x 54"
miguel cortez, 2006

new art piece...2

trash conversation
digital print, dimensions variable
miguel cortez, 2006

This print is about the dreaded monotonous conversations when one is in a long term relationship. The repetitiveness of everyday life. Stop it and talk about something else, damn it!

new art piece...3

Recycle your ideas
limited edition of 25 bumper stickers
miguel cortez, 2006

Recycling is used to describe a series of activities that includes collecting recyclable materials that would otherwise be considered waste, sorting and processing recyclables into raw materials and manufacturing the raw materials into either making the same product(closed loop) or new products(open loop). An example of open-loop recycling is using plastic bottles to make pipes. Artists use these processes all the time. Some come up with an idea and create work using a certain style/media and repeat this for a long time to please his/her commercial gallery/collectors(this is closed loop recycling).While others may gather old ideas, twist and turn them, throw them up in the air and some new concept pops up(open loop recycling).

Michael Piazza (1955-2006)

Fellow artist and friend Michael Piazza died this past weekend. Michael had apparently been experiencing some health problems recently, but as someone without health insurance, he put off doing anything too expensive about it. A long-time heavy smoker, he had been experiencing pains in his chest. Over the weekend, he apparently began feeling bad, but resisted attempts to take him to the emergency room. His wife Laura found him dead on Sunday morning. He was 50 years old.

Immigrant March May 1, 2006

more images here:
http://mcortez.com/blog/march/index.htm

Nationwide, a call for immigrant rights

By Michael Martinez
Tribune staff reporter
Published May 1, 2006, 2:51 PM CDT

LOS ANGELES -- From Chicago to Los Angeles, New York to New Orleans, and Miami to Denver, hundreds of thousands of predominantly Hispanic immigrants walked off their jobs, skipped school and demonstrated with friends and family members in a nationwide show of solidarity for immigration reform today.

The so-called "Day Without Immigrants" was intended as a nationwide boycott to demonstrate the importance of immigrants, including undocumented immigrants, to the nation's workforce and its economy. It sparked divisions among Americans, debate on talk radio and even a split among the organizations sponsoring it, many of whom were divided over whether it might cause a backlash against immigrants across the country.

An estimated 300,000 people had gathered by early afternoon in Chicago and hundreds of thousands more were expected later at rallies in New York City and Los Angeles. Smaller rallies were planned in 50 other cities, even in such far-flung places as Connecticut and South Dakota.

"We are the backbone of what America is, legal or illegal, it doesn't matter,'' said Melanie Lugo, who was among thousands attending a rally in Denver with her husband and their 3rd-grade daughter. "We butter each other's bread. They need us as much as we need them.''

Authorities were beefing up patrols, many businesses voluntarily closed, and hundreds of protestors began gathering hours early this morning in downtown Los Angeles for what organizers hope will be the nation's largest demonstration against anti-immigrant legislation. A similar rally drew 500,000 in March, the largest turnout of any city that month.

In fact, demonstrators will be holding two marches in Los Angeles today, the other beginning in the afternoon in the heavily Latino neighborhood of MacArthur Park. To be led by several local officials including Cardinal Roger Mahony, those demonstrators will walk down L.A.'s grandest course, Wilshire Boulevard.

In addition to many undocumented immigrants who expected to boycott their jobs to go to demonstrations across the nation, many high school students in Los Angeles also didn't show up to their classrooms, despite officials' threats of citing and punishing them for truancy.

Throughout the United States, the day is meant to be a moment of walkouts, boycotts and political expression. The daylong events have been called by some "A Day Without Immigrants," inspired partly by the film "A Day Without A Mexican." The rallies aim to put pressure on Congress as the Senate and House struggle to pass immigration legislation this year.

May 1st, International Workers' Day

May 1st, International Workers' Day, commemorates the historic struggle of working people throughout the world, and is recognized in most countries. The United States of America and Canada are among the exceptions. This despite the fact that the holiday began in the 1880s in the USA, linked to the battle for the eight-hour day, and the Chicago anarchists.

May 1, 2006 is a Day of Protest: Fight for Immigrant Rights!

Join immigrants and supporters to make Monday, May 1, 2006 a national "day without an immigrant" Anti-immigrant politicians and hatemongers call immigrants "a drain on society" - they try to pass repressive legislation like HR 4437 and encourage groups like the racist "Minutemen". But immigrants contribute billions to the economy and receive few benefits in return. We will settle for nothing less than full amnesty and dignity for the millions of undocumented workers presently in the United States. Let's show the government, corporations and racist politicians that a powerful, united peoples' movement has the power to win Civil Rights, workers' rights and make history. No business as usual on May 1!

in Chicago: May 1st Immigrant Worker Justice March Monday, May 1, 2006, 10am.
Starts at Union Park (Lake/Ashland) Ends at Grant Park

entorno opening @ polvo

see more images from the opening here:
http://polvo.org/april28/index.htm

my new future project

video installation of people's perspectives:

Step 1: Strapping a small video camera to a subject's forehead and having him/her walk around the block. The camera records from their perspective what they look at and how they interact with the situation. This is repeated with more subjects of various heights.

Step 2: Using digital video software to edit and placing all scenes on one screen in grid format(total of 16 scenes playing simoultaneously and looped, 4 rows by 4 columns). By editing and doing some scenes shorter that the others, each scene will not take place at the same time so each timeline will be slightly different.

Step 3: Projecting the final video onto a huge screen or using a large monitor. Another option is to do an installation of various monitors, stacking them and each playing one video.

Several years ago I did a digital print dealing with "empathy" and I imagined what a couple in the past(circa early 1900s) would be thinking about on certain days and I then recorded the imaginary thoughts along with old photographs to create a print. Well for this project I will be working with the present and people that I know using digital video to record their experiences at a certain time and location. We live inside these shells(bodies) and I am curious to experience at least visually how it would be to be inside another body and seeing the world from another person's eyes.

Saturday afternoon

I spent some much needed time with my family today. We celebrated 2 birthdays: my younger sister Roxanne and my 7 year old nephew Jaime. The weather was excellent, sunny and in the 70s...good enough to be out in the yard cooking!
see more pics here

Glass Curtain Gallery opening April 13, 2006

I was in this art show organized by Jesus Macarena-Avila of Polvo and it was a huge success considering it was on a thursday afternoon. We had Amistad Car Club members bring their low rider cars and do a show right in front of the gallery. I also ran into people that i have not seen in many years; a blast from the past! All of the artwork shown is of very high quality and these artists are some of the best artists of latino origin doing awesome contemporary work. Several curators from the MCA(Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago) were there, so it was cool that they made the time to check out the show.

Check out the web page here: http://polvo.org/romantico.htm
and the direct link to the images here: http://polvo.org/romantico/index.htm

(A) MEXICAN r4WB1t5 macro.Fest

see some images from this event sunday april 9, 2006 @ polvo
and check out a video: 3.4MB quicktime

abstract paintings

this is my latest series. I do a lot of abstract work aside from any new media junk. It sometimes feels good to just sit down to use conventional materials. I guess i am a modernist at heart.

video from the opening last night

see video HERE