April, 6, 2009

Contact:  Marivel Graham

Gallery Director

(956) 882-7097

Email: gallery@utb.edu

The Art Gallery in the Rusteberg Building at UTB/TSC

Presents

Parables of Life and Mind

Brownsville, TX – The Art Gallery in the Rusteberg Building is proud to present the “Parables of Life and Mind”. This show consists of senior student work from the University of Texas at Brownsville. Opening reception will be held Monday, April 20 at 6:30 p.m.

·         Opening reception: Monday, April 20, 2009: 6:30PM

·         Location: The Art Gallery in the Rusteberg Building at UTB/TSC

·         Exhibition runs from April 20 to May 1, 2009

·         Admission fee: $1.00

Artist Statement:

            My work conveys short allegorical stories that are parables of life.  They illustrate the truth about our society.

            One of the many parables of life is the obsession of material objects and external appearance. It is this idea of obsession that I explore within my work.

            I have always been interested in the female figures because of there form, beauty, elegance and their important part of are society. Through observation I study the things they consider valuable. Women tell many parables of vanity and obsession and it is through them that I not only address women’s obsession, but society in general. Sometimes society’s obsession with the material things and appearances is so great that they forget what truly matters, such as having good moral values. For example, in The Past, No Longer Obtainable, the woman is looking at a house that represents her past, a family oriented life that is no longer there because she disregarded the truly important things in life. In my idea she left her life and part of herself for material things such as clothing and jewelry, which are items visible in most of my work.  Like in William Holman Hunt’s The Awakening Consciences she too has awakened from a life of depravation and has realized what truly matters in life.

            I address these obsessions and the lack of moral values by telling parables within most of my work.

-Frank Barrera

My main focus is in painting and drawing, including mix media. I have experimented on paper, canvas, raw canvas, wood, cardboard, egg cardboard, masonite, and compress triply. I have combined different compositions with oils, acrylics, watercolors, ink, oil pastels, crayons, wire, and staples. I do not consider myself a traditional painter that stays true to a usual media. Instead, my work can be seen in a variation of medias but still can be recognized because of my set style.

My subject matter deals with humanity and sometimes nature. I present my humans-like gesture figures without eyes, lips, nose, ears, skin color, age, or gender. My reason for this is that my subjects are universal, they do not relate to any specific group in the world.  I am treating the human society as a whole because I believe that is the way it should be, without divisions and stereotypes. I often bring together the human society with the nature world. I believe that humanity does not respect nature or gives it its place. In my work I explore issues such as division between nature and humanity, division between humanity itself, reverse societies where nature has the power that man has in present time.

My work also evolved into a narrative way, I started to create short stories about humanity and its adventures. I have created worlds where everything can be possible, a place where the most important themes are dreams and imagination.

-Yareth Fernandez