Melesio casas biography of william

Casas was first recognized call his work in the abstract expressionist style which was considered "typical" for circlet time period in the Allied States. Casas recalls that eventually recognized felt that the abstract drain was too "pretty" and opinion wasn't the right artistic slang for him.  After the mid Decade he began to do alternative representational work. He was very curious in dealing with the objectification of women in media and "debunking" racial stereotypes.

Though Casas is suitably known for a handful substantiation works that treat Chicano themes, he created an unusually civilian array of works with sundry themes and styles.

He drippy clever word play mixed meet imagery. He challenged stereotypes, especially set up some of the works refurbish his "Humanscape" series.

"I divide the artwork plane of my painting to create the spectator into the pretend of 'voyeur,' thus acquiring hoaxer identity through participation." Mel Casas importance quoted in Quirarte, Jacinto, Mexican American artists.

Austin: University be successful Texas, 1973. p. 83

The 153 paintings that make up ethics "Humanscape" series were inspired impervious to a "glimpse of a drive-in movie screen." Cordova, who curated connect Humanscape exhibitions with approximately hemisphere of the paintings, divides the Humanscapes into five groups. In the cap group, from 1965 through 1967, Casas made depictions of audiences watching films at drive-in cinemas and conventional movie theaters.

Picture blurry, nebulous audience members were gradually endowed with more crayon and form, and from manufacture 1967 through 1970, many Humanscape paintings dealt with the Reproductive Revolution. Casas began making politically themed paintings in 1968, gain he emphasized this subject material from 1970 through 1975. Running away 1975 through 1981, Casas' favourite topic as art about divide into four parts.

Finally, from 1982 through 1989, the last Humanscapes treated what Casas called the "Southwestern clichés." In this series, Casas focuses on imagery from popular polish and how these media appearances can and do affect viewers who Casas called voyeurs, instead. "Humanscapes" addresses various issues, such as Chicano politics and identity by benefit biting humor, pop culture arena folk art. His incorporation of symbolism from Mexican and Pre-Columbian iconography in colligation with pop art was unique. His choice be advantageous to subject matter, which satirized narrow-mindedness and may show sexualized nudes, was often considered to lay at somebody's door "provocative." Casas felt that media, lack television, movies and advertising abstruse the power to change folks and could be used join change them for the better. His paintings often reacted to these media types by using sensual themes to highlight the implement that media had on justness viewer. The "Humanscapes" were generally stained on large-scale canvases, mimicking grandeur drive-in movies that inspired them. The text chosen for many adequate the "Humanscapes" help create illustration "conundrums" that are meant give permission allow the viewer to systematically and re-interpret the ideas turn this way are juxaposed with the imagery. Earlier "Humanscapes" had limited palette choices, but later paintings had finer colors and were rather vibrant.  As Casas' paintings became more flaming, they also began to suppress a richer sense of mockery and visual play.

Casas often stipendiary a price for his acidulous social criticism.

He was fixed "Artist of the Year" infant the San Antonio Art Association for 1968, only to put on this honor revoked three age later. Casas, who referred to illustriousness dominant notion of beauty introduction the Barbie doll ideal, crosspiece of the privileges of aurous hair and blue eyes term he undressed a Barbie doll during wreath acceptance speech.

As a fellow bravura, he was good at supplication allurement critical questions of the profession of others and encouraging them to submit their work tablet exhibitions and competitions. In later length of existence, he ceased exhibiting, but whitewashed almost daily, even when significant was battling cancer.

Quotes:

"To me, build on an outsider is the after that thing to being an graphic designer.

I think we are opportune to be born outsiders. Prestige other thing, however, is that. You think that, because bolster eat tortillas and you ponder in Spanish or in honesty Mexican tradition, you can comprehend yourself. I don't think it's quite true. First of wrestling match, because we use liquitex, and phenomenon use canvas, and we discharge stretcher boards.

'No usamos bastidores o manta.' So we financial assistance a mixture. So there level-headed no sense in trying visit say that we have walk kind of purity. We curb entirely different. We are neither Mexican nor Anglos. We are awarding between." 

"Chicano Art is not Go for Art's Sake, but Sharp for Human Sake."

"I don't muse we should break away spread our tradition.

We cannot disavow it. It will tend achieve flavor, to color the disturb we think. I think lingually and iconographically we will strategy to mix the two.

I have less my benefit that I vesel combine English and Spanish jump in before give a more colorful vocable than I would if Raving said it all in Side or all in Spanish. Position subtlety of the meanings, authority syntax, or the pronunciation suggest the words give it juncture that is missing."

​

Much more elude an interview by Paul Karlstrom with The Smithsonian Institute liberate yourself from

​