Gallery Visit–OCCCA, Maldita Frontera

I recently took my second visit to the OCCCA Gallery. My first being in June of this year. I was not disappointed. Maldita Frontera opened on July 7, 2012. The show ends on July 28, 2012. The event was held during the Santa Ana 84th Anniversary celebration of the Santora Building.

Ramon Carrillo, detail.

The meaning of maldita frontera is: damn boarder or horrid boarder. There are so many times when I walk into an exhibition and think to myself, yea well so what? This exhibit tries to ask the viewer to care, to look deeper, to think. The execution of the art varied from excellent quality to somewhat rougher executions. One begins to see that this topic should be given more time and consideration.

Does the show do enough? Is there enough content presented to bring attention to the realities and horrors of the boarder between the United States and Mexico? The show walks the tight rope of informing and not blaming. I should mention that all of the gallery tags are in Spanish first, then English. A nice touch allowing Spanish first.

My teen aged children who viewed the work with me felt the show was about prostitution and drug trafficking. They rely on what they see without reading labels in a gallery. This tells me that the images could be read on multiple levels.

Below is a gallery shot of the work of Ramon Carrillo. The execution was of layers and layers of dripped acrylic paint to create the image. The paint kind of binds on itself just as the topic of the US/Mexico boarder is complex and multifaceted. The US and Mexico are bound to each other and we need each other. Similar to how each layer of paint holds up the next layer and creates form.

Ramon Carrillo.

Ramon Carrillo, 2009. Human torso hanged with metal hook.

Pablo Castaneda, 2012. Orson Wells/Thirst for Evil, according to Orson Wells. Detail.

Many people at the opening.

Pablo Castaneda full view. Almost big enough to make me think of Guernica by Pablo Picasso.

Eduardo Kintero, 2012. Ceramic on Panel.

Eduardo Kintero.

Eduardo Kintero. With a translation by Suzanne, the author of this blog post:
I need some help. My boy went to the other side. He went for a few dollars.He did not return.

Eduardo Kintero, 2012.

Across the street I visited another open studio/gallery.

Jose Quant.

Jose Quant.

Jose Quant.

This painting stopped my son and I in our tracks. It was hung in a stairwell, so I was unable to get a straight picture of it. Still, remarkable use of paint and texture.

Marinus Welman, The Execution. 78 x 64 inches, oil on canvas.

Marinus Welman, detail.

Marinus Welman, detail.