Wanting to showcase the artistic merit of the American Southwest, self-proclaimed art agitator Karl “KRRRL” Whitaker conceived of a print portfolio. He traveled around the “desert triangle” — a region defined by Tucson, Albuquerque and El Paso — to recruit 29 other printmakers, and in 2015 the Desert Triangle Print Carpeta was born.
In this virtual panel discussion, UAMA Director Olivia Miller will talk with KRRRL, along with Cristina Cárdenas, Ramon Cardenas and Manuel Guerra — several other contributors to the portfolio, which is on view now at the UAMA. Register below to join us for this free event!
Born in Guadalajara, Cristina Cárdenas is a painter, printmaker and ceramist based in Arizona for more than 30 years. She has participated in national and international artist residencies, and won awards including NEA/WESTAF, the Regional Painting Award and the Hourglass Project in South Africa. Cristina earned a Master of Fine Arts in printmaking from the University of Arizona.
Ramon Cardenas is a contemporary visual artist, muralist and printmaker who forms part of the collaborative LxsDos, together with his partner Christian Cardenas. He has more than a decade of experience in community-based arts and is assistant curator of practice at the University of Texas at El Paso’s Rubin Center.
Manuel Guerra is a contemporary artist who mixes memory and Meso-American mythology to produce traditional renderings and prints. The outcome of the caricatures and lampoons is usually bizarre and/or violent, pointing out hypocrisy, foolishness, and moral and ethical transgressions. Manuel says in his artist statement, “We must remember that humor is a vital part of life, communication and survival.” He teaches printmaking at University of Texas at El Paso.
Image | Los Dos, El Gallo, 2016, Serigraph, Gift of Karl Whitaker
