* Above, "Carm's Crew," gold leaf, glitter, oil paint on wood, 2009.
Artist Shizu Saldamando, an intimate chronicler of multiethnic youth subcultures in Southern California has a show of new work right now at Space 47 in San Jose, Calif. From the show's statement:
She is an observer of backyard parties, dance clubs, music shows, hang out spots, and art receptions. By exploring subcultures through personal narrative, and employing an eclectic mix of materials, Saldamando hopes to neutralize fixed hierarchical social constructs where the viewer becomes aware of their own fluid subjectivity, and begins to question their assumptions regarding the subject matter in each piece.
Saldamando employs shimmering washi paper, gold leaf, and other new materials in this exhibit, adding a striking dimension to her work. For this set of new pieces, I posed for her without knowing it. The piece linked here was created off a candid photo Shizu took of Uriel Urban and I in my Mexico City apartment, while she was in town for the "Phantom Sightings" opening at the Tamayo. It is called "Daniel y Uriel," and is colored pencil on paper with a washi paper collage. It is on view in San Jose, until May 29.
... Of course, Saldamando loved our visit to El Chopo. She took a lot of photos and left with the impression that the youth tribes of Mexico City are more deeply devoted to their chosen ideologies than their tribal counterparts in the U.S.
* But more on that later.
