The idea for this project came about last fall when I took a class on globalization and the environment.  The class addressed the changes and challenges that have sprung from our global reality, and made me question my role as an artist in relation to the cultural and social discourse.  In my research I came across the work of writer, cultural critic and educator Carol Becker.  In her writing I found an in-depth and global exploration of the same questions that I was asking.  Becker’s work defies our expectations of art and artists while also pointing out the existing gap between the art world and society, bringing out the need to “decolonize the imagination of artists and audiences, to force us all to break the paradigms that perpetuate this mutual alienation and keep art from having an impact on society.”

Becker´s work inspired me to create a space to explore the contemporary significance and reach of art.  This space took the form of two artist talks and an exhibition that attempt to generate dialogue among artists, and encourage the participation of the community.  I wanted to find out how artists relate to our complex and ever changing reality, how the everyday permeates their work.   I also sought to encourage conversation about the relation of the art world to the world outside, to figure out how we can improve this relationship, expand audiences and acknowledge our mutual dependency.

The artists in this exhibition are deeply attuned with what is happening around them.  They explore a wide range of issues ranging from ecology and popular culture to art history and the everyday.  By transforming their private experience into public content, they generate ideas and thoughts in unexpected and unique ways, which challenge our perception and entice our imaginations.

Mariana Garibay R
BFA, Painting and Drawing 2011