By Chris Jalufka | 01.24.2014
San Francisco based artist Rene Garcia, Jr. is set to open his first show of 2014, FRONTERA: Artifacts From Another Dimension on February 1st at Gauntlet Gallery.
Gauntlet Gallery has handed the gallery over to Garcia, giving him full reign to the space to do as he wishes.
Garcia’s work has a playful energy — charged with wide-eyed glee, and he’s promised to morph the entire gallery into a depiction of the future as imagined from the ’80s.
FRONTERA: Rene Garcia, Jr. at Gauntlet Gallery
From Gauntlet Gallery —
‘Frontera examines the dichotomous nature of the past and future, combining them in the one temporal arena which connects them both: the present.
Drawing inspiration from the future as seen through the beloved 80’s era – 3D anaglyphs, colorforms and optical illusions – Garcia reimagines these antiquated visions using artistic techniques long since abandoned in the age of the computer.
Through his artwork, Garcia masterfully points out that the future we once dreamt of and imagined is now here…but it is distinctly different than what anticipated. His use of craft materials further provides an opportunity for viewers to remember their own early artistic endeavors, reconnecting them to their own sense of what the future once held.
As such, Frontera does not push viewers toward a melancholic reminiscence, but instead connects our foregone experiences to our imagination, inspiring us to combine both in our lives today.’
Garcia’s main medium is glitter — a material he’s able to transform from a child’s craft toy into gorgeous and inspired works of art, but for ‘Frontera’ he’s going to be using a variety of tools to tell his story.
‘Beach Picnic’ – Glitter on Wood by Rene Garcia, Jr.
‘Motorcross’ – Glitter on Wood by Rene Garcia, Jr.
‘Trooper Kid’ – Glitter on Wood by Rene Garcia, Jr.
‘Sand Fantasy’ – Sand on Wood by Rene Garcia, Jr.
‘Scorpion Girl’ – Glitter on Wood by Rene Garcia, Jr.
Through Garcia’s own invention and his clear and clever aesthetic, ‘Frontera’ is geared to be an installation of stalled science fiction — a future world designed decades ago from obsolete technology.
Rene Garcia’s ‘Frontera: Artifacts From Another Dimension’ will be at —
Gauntlet Gallery 1040 Larkin Street, San Francisco
Opening Reception – Saturday February 1st 7PM – 10PM
‘Frontera’ is on display February 1st – March 1st
Rene Garcia, Jr. at work — Photo from The Bold Italic
For further reading, check out the Rene Garcia, Jr. interview with Jennifer Maerz over at The Bold Italic.
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