Expanded Graphic Art
I am visiting my recollection of events and structures that lead one’s daily life such as maps, maps used by Spanish sailors during the conquest, the magic of belief in forces of physics and deep embedded images from Mexican architecture. This work is the result of my current time and place where I am coming to terms with my ideological art discourse. Forms and colors come first to tell my version of my cultural education being an outsider and slowly adapting to my adopted environment. Drawing follows hidden structures as landmarks of experiences that come back or fade away, leaving us with the graphic nature of contour drawing.
My work, as it evolves into layers, it is a progression of manipulated photos and vector drawings that get edited by the destructive nature of laser energy or a CNC router. This act of self-editing comes with a by-product that resembles one questioning our own values thus resulting in a re-birth. Margot Lovejoy used the term Information as Simulation to describe Jean-Francois Lyotard’s ideas to dissolve the basic nature of the object into other states of energy. These works are my proposed evidence of invisible energy from our human paths.
These works refer to the folk tale in Mexico that Cortés exchanged a mirror for gold during his first encounter with emperor Montezuma. This simple act may have the seed for European greed and a narrative of one culture subjugating the other. The drawings are inspired by intersecting points of nautical maps and the invisible paths of human migration resulting in illustrated energy. The artist uses the layering of color-based imagery as a metaphor for his personal experience living in different environments. He came to Kansas City from Mexico after living in both countries and traveling widely to source his images.
These works refer to the folk tale in Mexico that Cortés exchanged a mirror for gold during his first encounter with emperor Montezuma. This simple act may have the seed for European greed and a narrative of one culture subjugating the other. The drawings are inspired by intersecting points of nautical maps and the invisible paths of human migration resulting in illustrated energy. The artist uses the layering of color-based imagery as a metaphor for his personal experience living in different environments. He came to Kansas City from Mexico after living in both countries and traveling widely to source his images.
Estos trabajos interpretan una historia popular de que Cortés intercambio espejos por oro con el emperador Moctezuma, siendo este acto el accidente que despertó la avaricia y el deseo de dominar la civilización Azteca. Estos dibujos están inspirados en puntos de intersección de mapas navales y los rastros invisibles de la migración humana resultando estos en energía ilustrada. El artista utiliza imágenes de colores presente en esos viajes como una metáfora de su propia experiencia viviendo en lugares variados. El migró de Guanajuato, México a Kansas City después de haber vivido en varios lugares en los EEUUAA y haber viajado constantemente de donde colecciona imágenes para su referencia.
George
CNC Relief print
2024
Photo by EG
Below:
MIguel Rivera and Friends at Grafik I Vest and KKV in Gothemburg, Sweden.
CNC and laser engraved prints and drawings on paper
In his work, Rivera searches for new forms and complex paths embedded in abstraction. He accomplishes this by reinventing structures and routes that stem from one’s daily life such as maps, the magic of belief in forces of physics, historical plagues mapping and architectural forms from baroque church facades. This body of work titled Geo/Matrix has evolved into layers. It is a progression of manipulated photos, hand drawn images, painted or printed shapes, and vector drawings that become edited by the destructive nature of laser energy.
Mixed media print, drawing and laser engraving on arches paper
80 x 168”
Mixed media print, drawing and laser engraving on arches paper 40 x 28”
Mixed media print, drawing and laser engraving on arches paper
44 x 28”
Mixed media print, drawing and laser engraving on arches paper
40 x 28”
Mixed media print, drawing and laser engraving on arches paper
40 x 28”
Mixed media print, drawing and laser engraving on arches paper
40 x 28”
Mixed media print and paint on wood panel,
17 x 24”
Mixed media print and paint on wood panel
24 x 17”
Mixed media print and paint on wood panel
13 x 16 ½”
Mixed media print and paint on wood panel,
23 ¾ x 16 ½”
Mixed media print and paint on wood panel
13 x 16 ½”
Mixed media print and paint on wood panel
23 ¾ x 16”
Mixed media print, drawing and laser engraving on arches paper
80 x 112”
Paint, CNC drawing and toner on wood panel and resin
15 ½” x 11
Mixed media print, drawing and laser engraving on arches paper
44 x 28”
Paint, CNC engraving and toner on wood panel
16 x 12”
Paint, CNC engraving and toner on wood panel
16 ½ x 11”
Paint, CNC engraving and toner on wood panel
14 ½ x 12”
Paint , CNC engraving and toner on wood panel
13 x 20 ½”
Mixed media print and paint on wood panel
24 x 17”
Mixed media print and paint on wood panel
36 X 24”
Mixed media print and paint on wood panel
36 X 24”
Mixed media print and paint on wood panel 36 x 24”
These are the most recent works at Studios Inc but initiated at The Scuola Internationale di Grafica de Venezia. As a side trip from my formal approach to mapping, I have included colors, amp routes and alleyway architecture from my residency in Venice. My view was always shifting and trying to keep track of north anbd south. I want to give the viewer a sense of being surrounded by tight spaces and light blue water from the canals.
Mixed media on paper
Mixed-media on paper (post-digital and intaglio relief print)
30x 22”
2018
This image can live in several realms. A visit to Gaudi’s archtecture translated to mixed media print, paint and silver film. One important aspect of the work is that it is not a digital product but I used dgital mechanical tools to achive some levels of precision that the image required.
Mixed media on wood panel
36 x 24”
2019
Mixed-media (post-digital and intaglio relief print)
30x 22”
2018
Mixed-media on paper
(post-digital and intaglio relief print)
22 x 30”
2018
Mixed-media (post-digital and intaglio relief print)
40 x 28”
2018
Mixed-media (post-digital and intaglio relief print)
30x 22”
2018
Mixed-media (post-digital and intaglio relief print)
30x 22”
2018
Mixed-media (post-digital and intaglio relief print)
30x 22”
2018
Mixed media on paper framed for IAPA International Academy Printmaking Federation exhibit at the Taoxichuan Art Museum in Jingdezhen, China, Augut 2018
Mixed media painting on wood panel, laser engraving, paint and drawing.
30 x 22”
2018
Mixed media painting on wood panel, laser engraving, paint and drawing.
40 x 24”
2018
This mixed media print drawing was started while visiting Venice. Getting lost navigating the lagoon island had an impact on me. I wanted to capture the chaos, lack of orientation and the colors of the forces in that city.
Mixed media on paper
30 x 22”
2018
These series (Hernan Cortés children) is a testimony of human endeavour translated to drawing, followed by the precision of science (laser) and historical survey in the form of print layers. Maps are intriguing to me because of the sense of truth and respect they command. We do not question their validity and embedded information, yet, they only consist of lines and text that share a visual syntaxis that can be read across western cultures. I am joining points located in maps relevant to my readings about the history of colonization of the American continent, Mexico specifically. Eventually these maps disappear under the action of digital deletion or laser engraving (burning) leaving clean lines of those joined dots.
This particular piece is inspired by the act on navigating at night, or almost blind. Background patterns are a composite of layers of European viruses brought to the Americas by Hernan Cortez's soldiers, nautical maps and Mexican churches facades, all of them interacting without a hierarchical order.
Mixed Media:
Lithography, Relief, Laser engraving and CNC drawing on black arches paper
40 x 28"
2017
"Hernando"
Mixed Media:
Lithography, Relief, Laser engraving and CNC drawing
28 x 40"
2017
"Catalina Pizarro"
Mixed Media:
Lithography, Relief, Laser engraving and CNC drawing
28 x 40"
2017
Leonor Cortes
Mixed Media:
Lithography, Relief, Laser engraving and CNC drawing
40 x 28"
2017
"Martin Cortes"
Mixed Media:
Lithography, Relief, Laser engraving and CNC drawing
28 x 40"
2017
This is a tryptic thinking of our right to manifest our right over land, nature and people. I used maps, mapping route drawings and colors that may have prominent to the conquest of the Western North American continent.
Printmaking, painting, CNC assisted drawing and laser engraving.
30 x 66"
This piece resembles the struggles of two continents colliding (America and European continents) creating a whole new continent as Charles O. Mann describes in his book "1491"
Mixed media on paper.
28 x 40"
2017
These pieces are perhaps evidence of search for unknown territories and structures found in my search of hidden linear connectors in architecture.
"fin de siè·cle I"
Mixed Media:
Lithography, Relief, Laser engraving and CNC drawing
28 x 40"
2017
Mixed Media:
Lithography, Relief, Laser engraving and CNC drawing and black arches paper
40 x 28"
2017
Mixed Media:
Lithography, Relief, Laser engraving and CNC drawing
40 x 28"
2017
This series sat in my sketchbook for years. It tells the story of the compartmentalization of empirical and experience based knowledge. It also shows a concern for telling a story in a whole different way: Watercolor Drawing as a human endeavour first, followed by the precision of science (laser) and survey in the form of lithography layers. Maps are intriguing to me because of the sense of truth and command they represent. We do not question their validity and embedded information, yet, they only consist of lines and text that share a visual syntaxis that can be read across cultures. I am joining points located in maps relevant to my readings about the history of colonization of the American continent, Mexico specifically. Other maps tell the story of migrating viruses that helped Spaniards to disseminate Mesoamerican cultures. Eventually these maps disappear under the action of digital deletion or laser engraving (burning) leaving clean lines of those joined dots.
40 x 28", Mixed media on Paper, 2017
40 x 28", Mixed media on paper, 2017
40 x 28", Mixed media on paper, 2017
40 x 28", Mixed media on paper, 2017
28 x 40", Mixed Media on Arches paper, 2017.
28 x 40", Mixed Media on Arches paper, 2017.
40 x 28", Mixed Media on Arches paper, 2016
My artist friend Alicia Candiani brought two plates from her native Argentina to Kansas City. I have been to Argentina and I loved these maps. These maps are deeply personal to her but was kind enough to ket me use them in some of our collaborative pieces for our on-going Crossover project. I think I am ready to let these maps go but no without thanking Alicia for her open support and willingness to participate on this alternative project.
I have always admired the group of Spanish artists who migrated to Mexico during the Spanish civil war under Franco. Artists like Vicente Rojo explored the simplicity of geometry by separating watercolor and "Gouche" painting. This particular piece is an homage to his work.
This diptych was started back in 2008 using elements from my 2003-2008 series of works using collograph and etching. After engraving maps and viruses with laser, I started to see order again and a sense of direction by exposing paper through channels and watercolor.
Piece based on a multiplicity of maps first used by Spanish conquerors in addition to the unknown feeling on anxiety.
The summer of 2016 in Kansas City makes one think of the inhospitable environment Europeans faced while trying to populate or take over the entire continent. This piece was inspired by the colors of the products shipped to Europe from the Americas including Silver.
This is an installation piece result from my residency at Proyecto Ace in Buenos Aires, Argentina in 2011.
Mixed media on Arches paper, 16 x 24", 2016
This is the first piece of the series that sat in my sketchbook for years. It tells the story of the compartmentalization of empirical and experience based knowledge. It also shows a concern for telling a story in a whole different way: Watercolor Drawing as a human endeavour first, followed by the precision of science (laser) and survey in the form of lithography last.
16 x 24", Mixed Media on BFK paper, 2016.
16 x 36", Mixed Media on Arches paper, 2016.
16 x 24", Mixed Media on Arches paper, 2016.
This is one of those pieces that can help to push the envelop. It was the first piece that I treated with Laser drawing after layers of lithography printing. Opening up or removing layers of ink helped me to paint or dye with watercolor and gouache paint. This is not digital printing.
16 x 24", Mixed media on Arches paper, 2016.
Laser, Drawing, Painting and Printmaking processes.
This work started in 2009 and was finished during the 2012 Crossover session with printing, drawing and painting done by Rivera, Yazzie and Villalobos.
CROSSOVER was collaborative international printmaking project between artists questioning the established norms of the original production and authorship of artistic work, leading to the collaborative work between artists from around the world. In this project one’s work, property and egos became irrelevant, as artists have to trust each other allowing themselves and their counterparts to place their hand-marks, images and matrixes on one’s previous works. The collaborating artists aimed to evolve in their own practice by finding common points of view and theoretical discourse.
The most recent CROSSOVER session took the format of an international project at Proyecto’ace/Artist-in-Residence International Program in Buenos Aires Argentina, from February to June 2013. Alicia Candiani as Proyecto‘ace director and Adriana Moracci as ‘ace studio manager created a new version for CROSSOVER , which included work in collaboration in a micro-residency format, an exhibition in Buenos Aires and a traveling exhibition through the United States.
Alejandro Scasso
Mixed media
30 x 44"
Alejandro Thorton
Relief
30 x 22"
Carla Beretta
30 x 44"
Mixed media collage
Carla Perri
Mixed media print
30 x 22"
Carolina Roge
Mixed media
30 x 22"
Cristina Solia
Mixed media
22 x 30"
Felipe Garcia
Mixed media
30 x 44"
Gabriela Alcoba
Mixed media
22 x 30"
Gabriela Zelentcher
Mixed media on fabric
30 x 22"
Jennifer Pickering
Paper composite
30 x 44"
Magui Moavro
Mixed media
Dyptich 30 x 44"
Maren Preston
Mixed media on fabric
30 x 44"
Maria Jose Sanchez Chiappe
Mixed media
Dyptich 30 x 44"
Natalio Altube
Mixed Media
30 x 22"
Paula Nahmod
Mixed media
30 x 22"
Paz Jovtis
Mixed media
30 x 22"
Sara Ayme Verity
Mixed media fold
22 x 30"
Simon Hall
Mixed media
44 x 16"
Sol Massera
Mixed media
22 x 30"
Sonia Sanchez Alvear
Mixed media
22 x 30"
Viviana Sierra
Mixed media
Dyptich 30 x 44"
Yoon Kim
Mixed media
Dyptich 30 x 44"
