State of the Art LA: The Week in Latino Art
Image: Ricardo Valverde
State of The Art is Remezcla’s weekly guide to Latin art openings in your city each week. Mingle with art admirers, collectors and casual passersby to check out these new works. And don’t forget to grab a free glass of wine…or three.
Ricardo Valverde — Vincent Price Art Museum
For art enthusiasts that love photography, we think the work of Ricardo Valverde is essential. The Vincent Price Art Museum will feature the first major survey of his art, displaying more than 100 of his works. The artist created everything from black-and-white photographs to mixed media pieces; he oftentimes took photos and then altered them by applying acrylic paint or scratching the image’s surface. In “Self Portrait con Mick,” the subject has a fiery halo while sitting surrounded by red lines. It seems this is the product of Valverde scratching onto the photo’s surface; the technique makes the image eerie and ominous, yet intriguing. “Ricardo Valverde: Experimental Sights, 1971 — 1996” will open on May 17 with a reception from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. If you can’t catch the opening event, the show will stay up until July 26. Plenty of time to see this important photographer’s engaging pieces.
Carlos Cruz-Diez — Louis Stern Fine Arts
It’s hard to explain the work of Carlos Cruz-Diez. Maybe the easiest way to put it is that he makes awesome, sometimes dizzying colorful work that will make your eyes experience things they haven’t before. Cruz-Diez primarily explores color and for his upcoming show at Louis Stern Fine Arts, entitled “Evolving Color,” he will present Physichromies, Transchromies and Chromointerférences. A brief explanation of these terms: Physichromies show subtle changes in color depending on the viewer’s position, Chromointerférences deal with color interferences and Transchromies look at how transparent strips can be used to affect color. This will be the first solo exhibition of Cruz-Diez’s work at the gallery which makes it even more exciting to check out. Head to the opening reception Saturday, May 17 from 5 p.m. to 8 pm.. The show will stay on display until July 26.
Manuel Carrillo — MOLAA
If photography are history are totally your thing, there’s a show this weekend just for you. Mexican photographer Manuel Carrillo is known for his depiction of a post-Revolutionary Mexico. His black-and-white photographs of everyday life and people in Mexico are poignant, beautiful and captivating. For “Mi Querido México,” the Museum of Latin American Art will exhibit selected photographs from the Bank of America collection. Carrillo has already displayed his work in more than 200 individual shows so now’s your chance to see his work up close and personal. The show opens May 17 and will be on display until November 30th.
Museum of Latin American Art 628 Alamitos Ave. Long Beach, CA 90802 (562) 437-1689