I am a Chicago-based digital media and performance artist. I created this grassroots, social media, portable mural in support of Miguel del Valle's campaign for Mayor.
follow hashtag: #delValleMural to see how the mural was created.
#delValleMural
The #delValleMural is finally complete!
#delValleMural, 2011, Acrylic on CanvasI am thinking that after the elections a Chicago Public Library would be a really nice home for the piece. What do you guys think?
putting final touches on the #delValleMural
The #ChicagoMayor elections are right around the corner...
And I am happy to report that I am ALMOST done with the #delValleMural(the hashtag is silent)
#delValleMural in progress
As a community-based performance artist, I find the act of sharing the process equally important to the act of sharing the final product.Here are images from the last week of the #delValleMural unfolding.
Nuevos Compañeros: Rio Yañez
My newest partner in crime is the talented, witty, godzilla and pikapika lovin' Chicano artist and curator Rio Yañez. I first came across his Ghetto Frida two years ago, while working on the project Obsessed With Frida Kahlo. Immediately I felt some sort of cosmic connection-not to Ghetto Frida- but to her creator. And then to make matters worse better, I found out that he is the son of one my biggest heroes- Yolanda Lopez!There was really no option other than collaboration. It was fate.Last month we finally initiated our long distance partnership through a tweet. Since then we have been communicating through TwitPic, Facebook, YouTube, phone calls and texts, and of course mutual shouts in interviews on the blogosphere (mine to Rio & Rio's to me.)Here are a few examples of Rio's recent work:
"I’ve been twittering for about a week now at http://twitter.com/rioyanez. I signed up as a way to contact Amber Rose after she started writing and posting about the portrait I created of her. I have to say, the most exciting aspect of twitter is the way people distribute images. The short urls for twitpics that often pop up on tweets evoke a sense of curiosity in me; more so than the many thumbnails that can be found on facebook. I think the lack of a thumbnail is more alluring and it forces you to chose to see the image or not, there’s no middle ground of a provided preview." (from his blog)
"Artist Curator Rachel-Anne Palacios flanked by Zitlalix and I. I created this portrait to thank Rachel for including me in the recent Frida exhibit she curated and to join the many artists who are on display on the walls of her apartment" (from flickr)
These images represent my first foray into my Raza Zombies series. They were inspired by the single best mainstream comic book of the 21st century: Marvel Zombies. Marvel Zombies re-imagines classic superheroes as flesh eating zombies. After reading it I felt compelled to do some zombie transformations on a few of my own personal heroes. More to come. (from flickr)[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1AhRQrJ7ePg]
Video of Gomez Peña setting the record straight for Rio regarding his Facebook presence.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QycIf6uKRd0]
Rio's Ghetto Frida Mural in the Mission District
stay tuned for more...
Maya Escobar Paint 4 Peace on ABC 7 News
I just re-uploaded a better quality of this video to youtube, check it out if you missed it before
Paint 4 Peace mural on ABC "The Ñ Beat," with host Theresa Gutierrez back in 2002
Paint 4 Peace is a non-profit organization comprised of artists and activists who strive to create a culture of peace, fortify communities, and bridge the gap between humanity and politics through artistic endeavors.