"Cultural Crossings"
a collection of short videos by Jacalyn Lopez
Garcia
created in collaboration with DJ Rex, Darren J.
de Leon, Carlos Garcia, & Laura Araujo-Salinas
In its entirety (12 minutes) "Cultural Crossings" is a collection of
short videos "Cultural Crossings" exemplifies this interest and points
to a poetic vision of the forgotten, but vital immigrant experiences of
Mexican/Mexican-American/Chicano families and their unique, inspiring
and difficult life-struggle to attain a better life. Each video, in
this collection, was created in an effort to bring together some of the
interviews, personal narratives, and photographic imagery taken from a
larger body of work, Life
Cycles: Reflections of Change and A New Hope for Future Generations
that premieres January 21, 2006 at the California Museum of
Photography.
"Cultural Crossings" is considered a collaborative effort that features
the artistic works of Rex Garcia an independent musician and artist.
Rex composed the original music and sound collages. Other
collaborations include a poem by Laura Araujo-
Salina "Finding Tomorrow", a poem by Darren J. de Léon
"Sueños del Norte" and a short story by Carlos Garcia "Backyard
Blessings".
"Cultural Crossings" is funded in part by a California Council of
Humanities Grant. This collection will be screened in the
Occularium screening room during the Life Cycle's opening reception at
the California Museum of Photography on January 21st from 7-9pm.
This work will also be featured on the project's interactive website
via http://www.cmp.ucr.edu beginning January 21, 2006.
1)
VIDEO TITLE: "2 Hearts 1 Pain"
Video running Time: 45 sec. Year
Completed: 2005
Director: Jacalyn Lopez Garcia Producer: Jacalyn Lopez
Garcia
Language: English
Author's Name(s): Jacalyn Lopez Garcia & DJ REX
SYNOPSIS:
A mother and daughter
reveal the truth about the complexities of their
fears as they relate to identity issues from a "Mexican &
Mexican-American" perspective.
Music by DJ REX, photography and
videography by Jacalyn Lopez Garcia.
2)
VIDEO TITLE: "River of Dreams"
Video running Time: 2 min Year Completed:
2005
Director: Jacalyn Lopez Garcia Producer: Jacalyn Lopez
Garcia
Language: English
Author's Name(s): Jacalyn Lopez Garcia, Laura Araujo-Salinas,
& DJ REX
SYNOPSIS:
Jose Alfredo Jimenez, a
Mexican composer and singer, reminds us in one
"ranchera" that in life's journey the purpose is not to finish first,
it is to learn how to get there. "River of Dreams" attempts
to capture the spirit of the adolescent newcomer upon arriving at this
strange, yet oddly familiar, new world with a poem "Finding Tomorrow "
by Laura Araujo-Salinas, music by DJ REX and videography by Jacalyn
Lopez Garcia. Collectively the artists reveal the courage,
strength, and perseverance demanded of these teenagers on their way
toward their dreams.
3)
VIDEO TITLE: "Art of Balance"
Video running Time: 3 min 30 sec Year
Completed: 2005
Director: Jacalyn Lopez Garcia Producer: Jacalyn Lopez
Garcia
Language: English
Author's Name(s): Jacalyn Lopez Garcia & DJ REX
SYNOPSIS:
This short video closely
examines a Coachella Valley artists' desire to
balance his art career and family obligations, as a young father, with
a more "honest"
and "truthful" way of
living. Music by DJ REX, photography and
videography by Jacalyn Lopez Garcia.
4)
VIDEO TITLE: "Sueños del Norte"
Video running Time: 3 min Year Completed:
2005
Director: Jacalyn Lopez Garcia Producer: Jacalyn Lopez
Garcia
Language: English
Author's Name(s): Jacalyn Lopez Garcia, Darren J. de Léon,
& DJ REX
SYNOPSIS
This narrative poem and
video is based on the movement north by an
undocumented immigrant whose journey is filled with dangerous
conditions, armed vigilantes, and death, all done in the name of work
and survival. As the character moves north, water moves south and
both converge at the intersections of survival, work, dreams of
success, and memories of a life left behind. Poem by Darren J. de
Léon, music by DJ REX, photography and videography by Jacalyn
Lopez Garcia.
5)
Video Title: "Backyard Blessings"
Video running Time: 2 min. 30 sec. Year
Completed: 2005
Director: Jacalyn Lopez Garcia Producer: Jacalyn Lopez
Garcia
Language: English
Author's Name(s): Jacalyn Lopez Garcia, Carlos Garcia, and DJ REX
SYNOPSIS:
Sometimes "it takes a
village" to remind one of what could be missing
from one's life. In the style of reportage, Carlos Garcia
narrates his short story about a religious ceremony performed in a
suburban Latino family's backyard. It critically examines the role
religion plays in shaping one's identity and includes original music by
DJ REX, and still photography by Jacalyn Lopez Garcia.
 ABOUT THE ARTISTS
Jacalyn Lopez Garcia
is a multimedia artist who is constantly searching for innovative ways
to integrate diverse artistic practices with new technologies. She
enjoys pushing the boundaries between politics and art and is
fascinated with exploring the relationship between narrative and memory
in her artmaking. Jacalyn has earned national and international
recognition for her multimedia art works and photography. She is the
recipient of a California Council of Humanities grant for her
documentary project "Life Cycles: Reflection of Change and A New
Hope for Future Generations that will premiere in January 2006 at
the California Museum of Photography. Her published works include Art,
Women & Technology by MIT Press, among others.
Information on the collaborators is forth coming. Please
check back at a later date.
EXHIBITION DATES
<>Ist Annual Coachella Valley
"Cine Sin Fin"
Chicano Film and Art Festival
Festival de Cine y arte chicano
Coachella Valley High School, 83800 Airport Blvd.,
Thermal, CA
January 20 & 21, 2006
<>Opening
Nite: Friday, January 20, 6-8:30pm Reception to follow
Saturday: January 21, 11am-5pm
$5 or $3 with student ID
Presale tickets (760) 899-9004 or (760) 275-9547
Did you
miss this event? If so, check back at a later date for
photographs of the event.
Latino Artists of Los Angeles: Defining
Self and Inspiration
September 9 - October 2, 2005
The Millard Sheets Gallery, 1101 W. Mc Kinley Avenue, Pomona, CA 91769
The exhibition, entitled Latino Artists of Los Angeles: Defining
Self and Inspiration, will take place September 9 - October 2,
2005 at the Millard Sheets Gallery at Fairplex, a 501(c) 3, non-profit,
art exhibition space, is deeply involved in its largest annual
exhibition, which coincides with the L.A. County Fair. This is an
exhibition that seeks to find out who the Latino artist is by looking
at the art that illustrates their experiences, their families, and
their lives. The art in this exhibition will allow the viewer to see
the influences, motivation, inspiration, and intentions of the
contemporary Los Angeles Latino artist, as well as those who influenced
them.
Featured in this special exhibition is the work of Jacalyn Lopez
Garcia, a multimedia artist and photographer who has received local,
national and international acclaim for her artistic efforts. Jacalyn's
recent collection of short videos entitled Cultural Crossings
will offer the viewer a poetic vision of the forgotten, but vital
immigrant experiences of Mexican/Mexican-American/Chicano families and
their unique, inspiring and difficultlife-struggle to attain a better
life while examining some of the complexities of cultural identity
issues. This collection of videos was created in an effort to bring
together some of the interviews, personal narratives, and photographic
imagery taken from a larger body of work, Life Cycles:
Reflections of Change and A New Hope for Future Generations (a
documentary project supported by a California Council of Humanities
Grant that will premiere as a touring exhibition in January 2006). Cultural
Crossings also highlights the collaborative efforts of talented
Latino composers/musicians, writers, poets and spoken word artists such
as: DJ REX, Carlos Garcia, Darren J. De Leon, and Laura Araujo-Salinas,
who contributed their artistic talents to this video collection.
EXHIBITION GOALS
The Millard Sheets Gallery recognizes that we are in the midst of an
exciting boom in Latino art that includes emerging Latino artists
creating important works, galleries and museums exhibiting their art,
and publishers producing books about their work, which is why they feel
it is essential to ask important questions about these artists. Who is
the Latino artist? How does s/he identify? What has made them who they
are? What is their place in art history?
Latino Artists of Los Angeles: Defining Self and Inspiration
will offer an examination about how the Latino artist illustrates the
answers to these questions by looking at the very personal way in which
an artist shows us who they are--through their art. The viewer will
have an opportunity to experience how art is a window into the heart
and mind of the artist, illustrating their experiences, their families,
and their lives. The exhibition will further allow the viewer to see
the influences, motivation, inspiration, and intentions of the
contemporary, emerging Los Angeles Latino artist: historical influences
that come from the great Mexican artists of the past; motivations that
develop from the artist's immediate history: civil rights and political
autonomy; inspiration that emerges from their families, spirituality,
and personal heroes; and finally, their intentions to better the lives
of themselves, their families, and their people.
Latino art is considered a complex and evolving movement that began as
a revolution when artists were compelled, often against social norm, to
make critical statements about themselves, their community, and the
overall Latino human condition. Today, contemporary Latino artists of
this decade continue to address important issues. But have the issues
changed? Have the artists changed how they identify? How strong are
their roots and how do they envision the future?
In answer to these questions, the exhibition experience will focus on
exposing who the Latino artist is via the work of important artists
since the turn of the 20th century through the birth of Chicano art in
1965. From these artistic pioneers, some still working today, we will
see how the new generation of artists are benefiting from the Chicano
pioneers' influence and mentoring. But are all of these new, emerging
artists carrying on the pride of being a Latino artist or do some
simply wish to be known as an artist without the ethnic label?
Millard Sheets Gallery invites you to join us and experience what some
of the artists (at selected locations in the gallery) have to say by
listening to audio clips about who they are and how they arrived at
this point in their career. More importantly, the main goal of this
exhibition is to educate the viewer about this exploding art movement
and make a bold and exciting statement about an important part of our
community.
*Artist Reception: Sunday, September 11 at 5:00
pm Music, Hors d’ oeuvres and award-winning wines from the L.A.
County Fair Wines of the World competition. Enjoy this exclusive
viewing and collection opportunity. Proceeds Benefit the Millard Sheets
Gallery Foundation Art Education Program. The cost of this benefit
event is $25.00 per individual. For those not attending the reception:
The Gallery is open anytime the Fair is. Weds. & Thurs. 11 am
to 10 pm; Fri. 11 am - midnight, Sat. 10 am - midnight; Sun. 10 am - 10
pm. On Sunday Sept. 11 the gallery will be closed for the reception but
open before and after for the public. The exhibition is free with Fair
admission.
EMAIL jacalyn@artelunasol.com
artelunasol.com
|