The Power of Then at The Museo de las Americas

Texas Cannons member David Almaguer’s work will be featured in Denver from September 10, 2009 through January 11, 2010 at the Museo de las Americas.

The Power of Then highlights contemporary Latino/Chicano artists that utilize popular cultural artifacts and their associated memories to create grand visual statements. The Latino/Chicano experience is a myriad of perspectives that mix into a multi-dimensional scene. From the streets of San Antonio to the coastal areas of California, the Chicano/Latino imprint is so diverse that it cannot be labeled – though many have tried. There is a certain playfulness, a touch of crass, a deep pocket of traditions, countless layers of colors, a bit of revolution and, of course, many loving memories of family. It is seen in the trinkets bought at the mercado to the religious icons placed in home altars. When purchasing a Chicano artifact – a piñata for the birthday party, a fan for the hot days to come, a molcahete for the kitchen, a beaded saint bracelet for a new-hip look, one is buying a memory, a tradition, and a history. The Latino/Chicano artists in this exhibition understand the power of these ornaments and have carefully raised their power with new translations and contemporary practice. The results present windows into this vivid cultural past and a hard view into the new trans-cultural reality.

Curated by Patty Ortiz

ARTISTS
Ronaldo Briseno (SAT)
David Almaguer (SAT)
Alex Hernandez (DEN)
Franco Mondini
Linda Arreola (LA)