Graphic Art, Tortillas, Comics, and Troublemaking

Whenever I talk about the path that led me to be a visual artist I always start with comic books. My childhood dream was to grow up and draw comics (or penciling as it was known back then). As an adult my appreciation of comics has evolved alongside the technology used to produce them and I have become obsessed with color design in comic books.

Back in the day most mainstream titles had their own colorists who would apply zipatone patterns to create color images in comic pages. Now most comic book illustrators color their own work using Photoshop and Illustrator. Looking at how far the use of color has come in them I can honestly say my dream job would be doing color and digital production work for comics. We’re in the midst of a fascinating movement of color design. Below are a few of my favorite artists working with color in comics.

James Stokoe (http://orcstain.wordpress.com/)

Frank Santoro (http://coldheatcomics.blogspot.com/)

BONUS: Read the entire run of Santoro’s Cold Heat for free online HERE

Naomi Nowak (http://www.naomi.se/)

BONUS: Read a preview of Naomi Nowak’s Graylight by clicking HERE

Kristian Donaldson (http://www.kristiandonaldson.com/)

J. H. Williams III (http://www.jhwilliams3.com/)

Peace,

Rio

I’m feeling so in love tonight. My lady has been away working hard in another state for the last few weeks and I just miss her so much right now.

I very rarely put my personal life on blast on my blog anymore but long distance love and the moon have me inspired. The result is this mixtape, a dedication to the one in my heart.

Click on the link below to download:

http://www.mediafire.com/?nsr52wnibw7vnq8

Peace,

Rio

Hi everyone! It’s that time of the year again for the Day of the Dead exhibit that I co-curate with my dad!

What: Calling on the Spirits to Face the Future: Día de los Muertos 2012

When: October 13–November 10, 2012

Where: 934 Brannan St. (between 8th & 9th)

How Much: Free admission

Gallery Hours: Tuesday–Friday, 12–7pm, Saturday 11am–5pm, Sunday, 11am–3pm

The centuries-old tradition of building altars to welcome and celebrate deceased loved ones fuses with present-day artists’ sentiments on the state of life and politics in the Day of the Dead 2012 exhibition at SOMArts Cultural Center. Elaborate, traditional altars and multi-dimensional art installations are on display in Calling on the Spirits to Face the Future: Día de los Muertos 2012.

The annual Day of the Dead exhibition provides a way for more than 80 participating artists and more than 4,000 exhibition visitors & 800 touring school children to embrace the beauty of life and to honor the spirits of the dead.

Calling on the Spirits to Face the Future is dedicated to the late Daniel del Solar, a Chilean-American media activist, poet and photographer, and the late John Edward Buchanan, Jr., Director of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco.

Accompanying events include:

Opening Reception, Friday, October 12, 6–9pm, $7–10 sliding scale admission.
Tickets: http://callingonthespirits.eventbrite.com  
Enjoy the unveiling of intricate, traditional altars and complex art installations created by more than 80 Bay Area artists as part of SOMArts Cultural Center’s 13th annual Day of the Dead exhibition, Calling on the Spirits to Face the Future: Día de los Muertos 2012.  The opening reception features live music and painting, interactive installations, Frida Kahlo themed performances and an artists market.

Gathering the Embers: A Dia de los Muertos Tribute Show 2012,  Saturday, October 20, 7–9:30pm, $8 in advance & $10 at the door.
Tickets: http://embers.eventbrite.com
In this 2nd annual performance showcase, sisters Natalia and Amanda Vigil gather emerging and established writers, interdisciplinary performing artists, media makers and musicians to pay tribute to love, life, loss and resiliency.

Bernal Hill Players, performing Neighborhoods of Mexico City
Saturday, October 27, 8pm–10pm, $10 in advance & $15 at the door.
Tickets: http://bernalhillplayers.eventbrite.com
The Bernal Hill Players is an adventurous San Francisco chamber music group specializing in eclectic programs. They will present two world premieres by Mexican composers Guillermo Galindo and Eduardo Gamboa inspired by neighborhoods of Mexico City. Additional chamber music to be performed includes Zarabandeo by Mexican composer Arturo Márquez, La Muerte del Ángel by Argentinian composer Astor Piazzolla, Cuarteto by the Cuban-American composer Joaquín Nin-Culmell, Choros No. 2  by Brazilian composer Heitor Villa-Lobos, and favorites of the folk and popular literature, La Llorona and Granada. Concert guests may arrive early to visit the art exhibition Calling on the Spirits to Face the Future: Dia de los Muertos 2012. Click here to read more.

Closing Reception for Calling on the Spirits to Face the Future: Día de los Muertos 2012
Saturday, November 10, 6pm–9pm, $7–10 sliding scale admission.
Tickets: http://facethefuture.eventbrite.com/
The closing reception for Calling on the Spirits to Face the Future: Día de los Muertos 2012 group exhibition is the final opportunity to view and interact with intricate, traditional altars and complex art installations created by more than 80 Bay Area artists. Music and performance to be announced.

To see more photos from my yearly shoot with Mayra Ramirez CLICK HERE.

Peace,

Rio

Once more it’s time for my annual Dia de los Muertos photoshoot to coincide with the exhibit I co-curate at Somarts. As always I worked with my #1 partner in art crime Mayra Ramirez. This is our 3rd Day of the Dead shoot together and I feel like we really hit a nice stride this time around. Joining us was costumer Chloe Rose whose dresses and hair pieces did amazing wonders for us. Below is a small iPhone-shot preview of some of the different looks were working with this year.

Peace,

Rio

It’s been less than a month since Abe, one of my best friends, made his journey home to the East Coast. While I miss him hella terribly I’m looking forward to our future collaborations and discussions on comics and political philosophies. This one’s for you Abe!

Abe’s work with his collective The Peace Poets can be found at http://www.facebook.com/ThePeacePoets

Peace,

Rio

This portrait of professor Katynka Martinez is a collaboration between the two of us. The mixtapes in the background trace the milestones in her life on her journey to becoming a tenured professor. Congratulations Katynka!

In Anaglyph 3D below:

Peace,

Rio

The artist call for Somarts’ annual Day of the Dead exhibit that I curate is now online. Please check it out and apply at:

http://www.somarts.org/dod2012call/

Peace,

Rio

This past weekend I met up with performance artist Cara Rose Defabio for an adventurous session of purikura in San Francisco’s Japantown. I’ve actually known Cara since we were both freshmen at Lowell High School but it wasn’t until the past few months that we’ve connected as artists. She’s been a participant and great supporter of the young Queer performing arts programs at Somarts.

We had a great time at Pika Pika, below are the results of our collaboration.

Cara has a performance this month at Counterpulse in San Francisco. She was a Computer is conceived and directed by her and is about how technology and appliances can shape identity. As the official description puts it:

Drawing text from obsolete operational manuals, cyborg feminist theory and artificial intelligence programs, She Was A Computer looks for historical perspective on our current online identity issues. Record players, rotary telephones, and even the audience’s cell phones will be used for this interactive investigation of how technology affects our social selves.

Buy your tickets HERE.

It was great working with Cara and I look forward to our future collaborations f’sho!

Peace,

Rio