Graphic Art, Tortillas, Comics, and Troublemaking

It’s 4:30 AM and I should be sleeping but I came across this video of Chilean singer Jessica Toledo that has got me so excited. Here’s a video of Ms. Toledo singing my all time favorite theme song Yakusoku wa Iranai from The Vision of Escaflowne. As best as I’ve tried to convey the concept of hybridity with my own artwork nothing says it better than a Chilean singer performing a Japanese song live in Mexico (¡Ajua!). Apparently she is a hardcore Latin American anime fan that has created Spanish language versions of popular theme songs. If homegirl is covering Yoko Kanno compositions I know she’s got good taste. Without further ado, here is Jessica Toledo singing Yakusoku wa Iranai in Mexico, she gets mad love from yours truly for the little strut she does when the bagpipes kick in.

For the record, I was obsessed with The Vision of Escaflowne back in the day. Circa 1998, when I was working for Viz and Animerica, I would hoard the Escaflowne screeners as they came into the office and watch them in marathons with my friend Charlie. This was in the days of videos and the screeners would come in these nice clean white clamshell cases as part of their marketing gimmick (this was back when Bandai distributed their material as Anime Village). It’s probably my favorite television series of all time in any language, medium, or genre.

So there it is y’all, Hybridity; much love to Jessica Toledo, wherever she is out there. To download a .rar file of some of her Spanish language anime themes you can CLICK HERE (92.19 MB).

Okay I better stop talking about nerd shit before my ghetto pass gets revoked. I’m out.

Peace and hybridity,

Rio

Last night’s Hybridity opening reception was one of the best nights of my life. I’m still processing things but the response to the show has been incredibly positive. Photos are coming in from different sources and I thought I’d share some with you.

That’s it for now but more to come soon. Peace!

Rio

My I Have Forgiven Guadalupe print hanging in the home of Culture Clash’s Richard Montoya. I feel like so many great things are happening for me in February and a lot of hard work is starting to pay off. I’m keeping my head up.

Peace,

Rio

The dream is coming true! My first solo-curated show is coming together like magnets. See ya at the opening! Thursday February 5th, 6pm-8pm!

Hi everyone, my first exhibit as a solo curator is upon us. If you’ve talked to me in the last couple of weeks you know that this show has been my life. I’m really excited to show the works of these amazing artists and hope that you check out the show and reception.

SOMArts Cultural Center Presents
Hybridity

Opening Reception: Thursday, February 5, 6:00 – 8:00pm
Exhibition: February 5 – 25, 2009
Gallery Hours: Tuesday – Friday 2:00 – 7:00pm, Saturday 1:00 – 5:00pm

SOMArts Cultural Center presents Hybridity, Curated by Rio Yanez

SOMArts Cultural Center will be presenting “Hybridity” during the month of February 2009.  Curated by Rio Yañez, it will present the idea of hybridity as artists combing their own native aesthetics and subject matter with those of another, including bi-racial and bi-cultural artists and how they express their identities though art. The exhibit will explore how utilizing themes, subject matter, or aesthetics of two cultures can speak to the relationship, permissions, and boundaries that exist between them.

Featured artists include: Tonia Calderon, Kathy Fujii-Oka, Susan Kitazawa, Sofia Maldonado, Morena Marina Santos, Lydia Nakashima Degarrod, MariNaomi, Alex Neroulias, Niz, Shizu Saldamando, Jos Sances, Nicole Schach, Shizue Seigel, Mae Suzuki, Cynthia Tom, Miho Toyoda, Rio Yañez

I’ll be showing my latest series of prints in the exhibit: portraits of Japanese Teenagers emulating west-coast Chicano and Cholo fashion and culture. Created from profile pictures posted on mixi.jp.

Galeria de la Raza presents

STRANGE HOPE
An ephemeral exhibition celebrating new beginning and creative economies

Opening Reception and Lottery Art Exchange:
Friday, Feb. 6 @ 7:30 pm

Exhibition Dates: February 6 – April 2

An exhibition featuring 8.5” x 8.5” works on paper created by 40 artists celebrating the advent of a new era of hope. The opening reception will include a “lottery” through which all artists will randomly swap their participating work among themselves.

WHERE:
Galería de la Raza|Studio 24 – 2857 24th St. @ Bryant
Gallery Hours: Tues. 1-7 p.m., Wed. – Sat. 12 – 6 p.m.

WHO:

Pilar Aguëro-Esparza, Raúl Aguilar, Juan Alicia, Jesus Barraza, Charles Beronio, Sylvia Buettner, Monica Canilao, Tân Khánh Cao, Victor Cartagena, Melanie Cervantez, Jaime Cortez, Rudy Cuellar, Ali Dadgar, Andy Díaz-Hope, Ana T. Fernández, Colleen Flaherty, Pato Hebert, Giovanni Higuera, Jason Jägel, Jody Jock, Sahar Khoury, John Leaños, Juan Luna Avin, Scott McLeod, Sean McFarland, Julio César Morales, Michelle Muennig, Angélica Muro, Mabel Negrete, Johanna Poethig, Sylvia Poloto, Juan Carlos Quintana, Rigo 23, Artemio Rodríguez, Favianna Rodriguez, Rosa Valdez, Jenifer Wofford and Rio Yañez
Galería’s new exhibition welcomes the Strange Hope of a new era. In honoring creativity and resourcefulness, we invited 40 artists to produce 8.5” x 8.5” works on paper that will respond both to the hopeful aspirations as well as to the uncertainty of these times. Through its collective message of transformation, renewal and collectivity, Strange Hope seeks to bring about unexpected artistic messages to motivate us through the coming times.
The opening night will include a one-time, on-site lottery during which participating artists will randomly swap their work among themselves. In anticipation of the resourcefulness we will need to develop in the current economic climate, this collective action and community exchange seeks to encourage the flow of artistic capitol and welcome an era that calls for refreshing creative economies.

My favorite birthday present was a Flip MinoHD camera given to me by Mariela. I fell instantly in love with it when I saw it online. I had originally come across the Mino line when I followed a link from the Sanrio website that boasted of Hello Kitty cameras. My eyes were transfixed by handheld video cameras bearing the likeness of Chococat and even Tuxedo Sam (Hella throwback!). When I explored the other designs in the line I was shocked and surprised to see one with the Virgin of Guadalupe on it. I knew I had to have it and sent Mariela the link.

I’m fascinated that the semiotics of cultural tourism and Mexican kitsch have finally reached high technology. As a Chicano I know I’m not the primary audience for plastering the Virgin of Guadalupe on an HD video camera. The design is a product of the Santa Cruz skateboard company and it’s intended as pure hipster irony. It would have been a perfect accessory to Tulane Law School student Melissa Swabacker’s racist “Border Party”.

I’m not claiming any act of reclamation in using and loving my Guadalupe Flip MinoHD. I share my mother’s fascination, love of, and artistic & academic interest in Mexican kitsch and tourist icons (what she call “Mexicana”).

You can see the videos I’ve created with Lupe so far here: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=721637572&v=app_2392950137

My birthday party was a great success. I was humbled by everyone who came from distances large and small to celebrate with me. At Mariela’s suggestion I took some of my artwork and turned them into coloring sheets. They turned out pretty well and my peoples had a good time coloring them in. My favorites are below.

To see a full gallery of the sheets check out http://www.flickr.com/photos/elrio/sets/72157612853005436/detail/. Thanks for the love everyone!

Peace,

Rio

The Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco and the father-son duo, Rene and Rio Yañez from SOMArts invite you to audition to be Andy Warhol. This project will be in conjunction with the opening of the exhibition, Warhol Live at the de Young Museum and Cultural Encounters:  Friday Nights at the de Young.

We are searching for models, actors and performers who would like to become Andy Warhol for a number of public appearances. Auditions will be held on Saturday, January 31st, 2009 from noon to 5pm in the Piazzoni Murals Room at the de Young Museum, 50 Hagiwara Tea Garden Drive, Golden Gate Park in San Francisco.

We are casting multiple Warhols, each having a special role that may include engaging the public, delivering lines, posing for photography, and demonstrating silk-screening. Performers will be paid for their involvement. Please arrive in your completed costume: wig, makeup and attitude. Don’t forget to bring your resume and 4×6 or 8×10 photograph of yourself, we will photograph you in your costume.

Warhol Live presents the first comprehensive exploration of Warhol’s work as seen through the lens of music. This exhibition brings together a wide variety of works depicting pop music royalty. The exhibition opens February 14 and runs through May 17. There will be a variety of events and public programming that will supplement this exhibition.

To schedule an audition, please contact the public programs office at 415.750.7694 or e-mail nschach@famsf.org.

Andy Warhol, Self-Portrait, 1986, acrylic and silkscreen ink on linen. The Andy Warhol Museum, Pittsburgh. Founding Collection, Contribution The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Inc. ©The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Inc.