May 16-June 2, 2003
"Dos Mundos/Two Worlds" by Alfonso Huerta
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"My still life studies are not simple copies of elements placed at random, but rather the compositions originate before I set myself to paint. The artistic significance comes forth, not only from my individual inner self, but it seems to arise from deeply within a communal web of Mexican cultural heritage that is at work in my daily life. Many of my works include very ordinary household things mixed with pre-Columbian objects or dreamlike visions that come from a fusion of the indigenous and Spanish influences, the ancient and the modern, that make up my cultural heritage. For me, the everyday and the pedestrian, the fantastic and the surreal, are continuously battling for my attention. As a consequence, these works operate on two levels. One is derived merely from the simple pictorial and visual elements, and the other works on the cultural, historical and subconscious plane that comes from my individual history and my background that in turn narrates the objects represented. The techniques used are expressive of the diverse themes that I choose and range from charcoal and pastel to beeswax and egg tempera. These traditional, sometimes antiquated, methods allow me to express the continuity and rupture, the ancient and modern traditions of the dual reality of Mexican culture: influences that are always with me in my daily life."
-Alfonso Huerta
Originally from Mazatlán, Sinaloa, México, Alfonso Huerta studied painting and life drawing at the Academia de Arte Municipal de Ciudad Juarez and at the Escuela Nacional de Artes Plásticas in México City. His paintings and drawings depict the lush and rich textures of his native Mazatlán with strong tropical flashes of color, imaginative effects of saturated light and shadow.
As the title of the exhibit suggests, his work is an expression of his involvement in art circles locally and in his home abroad. Previous exhibitions have included various shows throughout México. In Austin, Texas, Mr. Huerta's work has been featured in "Images from Mazatlán" at the John Henry Faulk Central Library, and a show at the City of Austin, and Small Business Development Center. In April of 2003, he won First Place at the 2nd annual Austin's Italian Chalk Art Festival for both Best Original Work and Best of Show.