La Calaca Press at the Art House Studios

ART EXHIBIT: "Calaca Press"

October 19, 2011 3:38 PM

Nancy Moyer

The Monitor

It’s the time of year for South Texas artists to bring out the Calaveras, and Art House Studios has done it with style and freshness. “Calaca Press International Print Exchange” completely fills the three gallery spaces and features one hundred-forty small, original prints. Nicaraguan printmaker, Carlos Barberena, who has established his Calaca Press in Chicago, organized the exhibit. Having conceived of the idea of bringing international printmakers together, he put out a call for submissions on Facebook. The word spread from there, attracting prints from three hundred printmakers and representing nineteen countries.
 

 "Golden Moonlights" Woodcut by Dani Triay.

“Barberena wanted to do a show on Calacas, which is the folklore of Aztec and Mexico mixed, ” explained Reynaldo Santiago, Art House Studios’ Curator.  “It’s not quite a day of the dead... the other countries and the U.S. Midwest, they don’t have a Day of the Dead, but they interpret what Calacas means in their own terms and their own culture. So that’s what we have here.” The prints overwhelmingly depict Calaveras; some pick up on Día de los Muertos symbolism, while others are comfortably European in their stylistic referencing. Others are refreshingly non-referential.

• What:“Calaca Press International Print Exchange”
• Where: Art House Studios, 1009 Laurel, McAllen
• When: Through October 28.  Hours: Mon-Thurs, 1-7pm; Sat, 9am-5pm.
• Contact: Raquel Hinojosa, Art Director at 956-688-6461 or 956-309-8352.

"Cupid's New Bow" Screenprint by Clay McGlamory.

Clay McGlamory offers a chilling new take on traditional imagery with “Cupids New Bow,” a four-color screenprint with enamel varnish. In this dark vision, a child stands holding an automatic weapon. A burst of light exposes a feathered wing.

"Death Rattle" Litograph by Lisette Chavez.

Another print with strong, but unnerving content is “Death Rattle” by Lisette Chavez. The child's toy is shown with a skull as the rattle. There is no humor here.

 "La Katrina de Azúca" Screenprint by Marwin Begaye.

“La Katrina de Azucar,” a screenprint by Marwin Begaye, uses the traditional festive Katrina image to deftly combine both humor and biting social commentary. Jauntily clustered atop the Katrina’s flowered and feathered hat nestles much of the fast food that will ultimately kill us. A centrally placed coca-cola bottle displays the words, Enjoy Obesity, as its logo.

 "Death and the Printmaker" Woodcut by Liv Rainy-Smith.

Liv Rainy-Smith’s woodcut, “Death and the Printmaker,” feels more European in its conceptual origin. Although the style is contemporary, the interplay of the printmaker dancing with a Calavera (death) is more reminiscent of Northern Renaissance printmaking.

 "José Guadalupe Posada" Print by Linda Lucía Santana and Coco Rico.

Some artists pay homage to the Masters. “Jose Guadalupe Posada” by Linda Lucia Santana and Coco Rico, and “’Los Muertos’ según Francisco Marco de Goya Hernández” by Marco Hernandez, both present excellent realistic portraiture alongside imagery referencing the Masters’ styles.

"Los Muertos" según Francisco Marco de Goya Hernandez by Marco Hernandez

The strength of this show lies not only in the quality of its prints, but also in the diversity of printmaking techniques. Fine woodcuts, lithographs, etchings, mezzotints, screenprints, and even a solar plate print are notable. This particular selection of prints weighs heavily in favor of a spread of U.S. artists. According to Santiago, the rest of the “Calaca Press International Print Exchange” collection will be shown in 2012. Perusing these prints is definitely time well spent.

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Nancy Moyer, Professor Emerita of Art from UTPA, is an art critic for The Monitor. She may be reached at nmoyer@rgv.rr.com

Art House Studios Presents: La Calaca Press International Print Exchange

Art House Studios Presents: La Calaca Press International Print Exchange.

Opening: Friday, October 7th, 6:00PM to 10:00PM. Art House Studios 1009 Laurel Ave. McAllen, Texas, USA. Exhibit runs from Oct. 7th through Oct. 28th, 2011.

Photos by Reynaldo Santiago / Art House Studios.

Carlos Barberena Exhibiting at the Art House Gallery

“Master Prints” & “Años de Miedo”


May 22, 2010 12:04 AM Nancy Moyer The Monitor
Upon entering the gallery, the exhibit appears to be German Expressionist-inspired relief prints. Suddenly, a second room of prints offers a broader aesthetic base; it chronicles the artist’s witty romp through past Masters of art. Carlos Barberena exhibits two series, or portfolios, “Master Prints” & “Años de Miedo,” at the Art House. The works are all linocuts; both series are relevant.

“Años de Miedo” (Time of Fear) is the result of a ten-year project; it is a tribute to victims of war. The works are based on Barberena’s own memories and the collective historical memory of his country, Nicaragua. The violent decades of the 70’s and 80’s in Nicaragua ravaged that nation, environmentally and politically. By addressing warfare and its aftermath, he believes that his work is touching on a reality that presently exists in many countries.

"Llanto" Linocut by Carlos Barberena

The artist reflects on the effects left by war and how those experiences affect our lives, physically and psychologically. One group of prints explores facial expressions provoked by fear. Each print shows only the abstracted face of an anguished individual. Llanto portrays the face with tears, while Herido de Muerto captures a face during the final signs of life. With only one exception, these prints are white line cuts against a flat black ground, visually emphasizing the psychologically disturbing message of tragedy. By injecting the darker issues of modern life into past artistic modes in the “Master Prints,” Barberena riffs off the old Masters. How would they have presented that painting/print today? Believing that they would share his concern for human injustices, environmental issues, and a world in need of common sense, he has reinvented a few artworks by well-known artists. Converting the original images into linocuts with impressive virtuosity, Barberena has added believable political or environmental issues.

"La McMona" Print by Carlos Barberena

In La McMona, Leonardo might have painted the Mona Lisa as a Calavera, or is death the answer to a diet of unhealthy fast food? Venus 2.0 (Botticelli’s Aphrodite) sports a respirator as pipes spewing industrial waste surround her shell. And what really might be causing Edvard Munch’s enigmatic figure to scream? Barberena’s The Scream suggests potential radiation from the mushroom cloud in the distance.

"Venus 2.0" Print by Carlos Barberena

Barberena collects images that relate to our collective memory; he references painful events that occurred in the history of Nicaragua as well as globally. “I hope never to become inactive nor esthetically dead during the period in which we are living,” he states. “I hope to react without fear in order to say what needs to be said in the moment it needs to be said.” For this artist, art is a powerful form of communication for reflecting upon and questioning the issues of our contemporary society - the fears, the desires, the hopelessness, and sometimes even the nonsense.

"The Scream" Print by Carlos Barberena

Nancy Moyer, Professor Emerita of Art from UTPA, is an art critic for The Monitor. She may be reached at nmoyer@rgv.rr.com

Carlos Barberena Solo Exhibit at The Art House Gallery

I will be showing my prints series: Master Prints and Años de Miedo at the Art House Gallery, McAllen, Texas.

Carlos Barberena Solo Exhibit at The University of Texas-Pan American

I will be showing my prints series: "Master Prints" and "Años de Miedo" in the University Gallery at The University of Texas-Pan American, Edinburg, Texas.

The University of Texas-Pan American will welcome speakers, performers, University community and the public to celebrate Pan American Days 2010 April 6 and 7. The theme for this year is “Austerity, Prosperity and Justice.”

Hosted by the Office of International Programs, Pan American Days serves to provide the University community and the public with a wide range of academic and cultural activities that appeal to all ages and nationalities. One of this year’s highlights will be the first “Noche de Arte” art walk on April 7 from 6-9 p.m. starting at the Art Gallery in UTPA’s Communication Arts and Sciences Building, and featuring the work of Nicaraguan artist, Carlos Barberena De La Rocha. His art expresses his sentiments and digs deep into the vastness of human knowledge. His Print Portfolio is presented as a manner of reflection about war and its effects and how these memories and fears affect our lives not only physically but also in psychological terms.The Opening will be during the Pan American Days celebration: "Noche de Arte” Art walk, 6:00 p.m., University Gallery (COAS building) UTPA.

FEATURED ARTIST: Carlos Barberena de la Rocha (Prof. Reynaldo Santiago, Curator)

Wednesday, April 7: Printmaking Workshop and Demonstration by Artist, Carlos Barberena. 9-11:30 a.m., AASA 170 (University Annex Graduate and Art Facilities)
  

Opening Reception: "Master Prints and Años de Miedo" Print Exhibit by Carlos Barberena Prof. Reynaldo Santiago, Curator, Art Department. 7 p.m., University Gallery (COAS building).

Thursday, April 8: "Gallery Talk with Carlos Barberena"Presented by Prof. Reynaldo Santiago, Curator, University Gallery, 12 noon. Co-Sponsored by the Art House* Co-sponsors: Office of Student Development, University Program Board and Art Department.

Office of International Programs, COAS 125The University of Texas-Pan American
1201 W. University Drive Edinburg, Texas 78539-2999
Telephone: (956) 381-3572 Fax: (956) 316-7012Email: intlcenter@utpa.edu

Prints by Carlos Barberena

SURFACE TREATMENT: Expressions Graphics of Oak Park Exhibit

Nancy Moyer
The Monitor

The Art House is currently showcasing a group of thirteen printmakers from the United States and beyond. Expressions Graphics is a nonprofit organization based in Chicago and houses printmakers from Canada, Spain, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Central America, and the U.S. It was founded about twenty-five years ago, with artist Nicolas de Jesus, as a fundraising organization.

Although many of the prints have an illustrative edge to them, some of the artists are using their art to expose injustice and as vehicles for cultural enlightenment.

"Aguas Blancas" Print by Nicolás de Jesús.

De Jesus is originally from Nahua Ameyaltepec and shows his work worldwide. His artistic intent is to inform other cultures about Mexico's heritage. He particularly focuses on the plight of Mexico's indigenous peoples. His print on papel amate, Aguas Blancas shows Calavera spirits catching the tears of weeping native people. An unbalanced scale of justice floats in space; a small sign in the background reminds us that tears do not forget.

"Silencio" Print by Carlos Barberena.

Printmaker Carlos Barberena from Nicaragua is also concerned with man's inhumanity to his fellow man in his series of achromatic linocuts depicting recipients of oppression. "With my work," Barberena said, "I seek to be a vector of change, collecting images that pertain to our collective memory and that, in certain form, make reference to painful events in the history of my country and of the world." His print, Silencio, characterizes his experiences with censorship.

On the lighter side, Beverly Keys' colorful Intaglio and chine collé prints greet the viewer at the entrance to the gallery. Keys' abstract works are solely about color as revealed by titles such as Lime ll.

Keys is from Chicago, as is Jill Kramer. Kramer's linocuts demonstrate a classic blockprint style. Bold shapes are balanced carefully within the perimeters of the space. Kramer's hand colored polychromatic prints depict landscape scenery observed from her travels. Hand coloring allows her the effect of multiple plates. Dry River Bed depicts an undulating dry gulley that now hosts flowers and grassy vegetation. The lack of water does scar the beauty of the site; green grass and blue sky abound. Clouds drift by.

The artists in this exhibit are working with printmaking techniques and subject matter that allow editions of usually fifty prints. There is very little straying from traditional techniques such as intaglio, linocuts, and screen prints. The exceptions would be a few monoprints. The imagery in this exhibition is usually very direct, in order to elicit a quick and clear response, but the stylistic tendencies among the group vary greatly.

"It's a print shop and gallery where all the printmakers who participate have access to the equipment, explained Rey Santiago, Curator for the Art House. "They never use the word, co-op, but it works like one."

Santiago and Ben Varela are members of this group and have intaglios on display. This is a good opportunity for print collectors.

What: "Expressions Graphics of Oak Park Exhibit"
Where: Art House Gallery, 1009 Laurel
When: through March 28: Mon - Sat: 12:30 to 4:30pm or by appointment.
Contact: (956) 688-6461

Nancy Moyer, PhD, is the art critic for Festiva. She is an independent artist living in McAllen.