Crossing The Line: Drawings from the Mexic-Arte Museum Permanent Collection

About

“Drawing—as an immediate or raw expression of thought or emotion—is defined as a form of visual art in which a person uses various drawing instruments to mark paper, or other platforms. The practice can employ a wide range of materials beyond the pencil including pen and ink, graphite pencils, inked brushes, various kinds of paints, colored pencils, crayons, charcoal, chalk, pastels, erasers, markers, styluses, metals, or new media.” Crossing the Line: Drawings from the Mexic-Arte Museum Permanent Collection exhibited the works of more than forty artists who delve into these assorted techniques. Works range from functional drawings such as anatomy studies, sketches, and mural drawings, to figurative renderings and abstract works that push the boundaries of what is considered a drawing. Through these diverse genres, featured artists explore a wide array of themes including notions of identity, culture, and drawing as a method to communicate, document, and interpret our reality.”

Featured Artists

 Andrew Anderson, Bruno Andrade, Lisette Chavez, Sam Z. Coronado, Fídencío Durán, Gaspar Enriquez, Raul Gonzalez, Tita Greisbach, John Hernandez, Luis Jimenez, Mario Rendón Lozano, Iker Larrauri, Alejandro Macias, Celia Alvarez Muñoz, Malaquias Montoya, Michael Menchaca, Paloma Mayorga, Randy Muniz, Aurora Orozco, Sylvia Orozco, Pio Pulido, Alonso Rey, Andrei Renteria, Felipe Reyes, Arturo Rivera, Megan Solis, Vargas-Suarez Universal, Ashley Thomas, Andrés Vera, David “Shek” Vega, José Villalobos, Regina Vater, Ricky Yanas, Sixto-Juan Zavala, and more

Ashley Thomas (b. 1984 in Corpus Christi, Texas) creates larger than life graphite drawings that utilize specific icons and memories from her childhood that index traces of the feminine in material culture. David “Shek” Vega (b. in San Antonio, Texas), known for producing murals for the San Antonio Spurs, created a mural sized drawing for the exhibition, Promises of Independence & Revolution: Artists Interpreting Mexico where he used his personal experiences to interpret the Mexican Revolution and Independence. Lisette Chavez’s (b. in the Rio Grande Valley) work draws on the suppressive experiences she had growing up in a conservative Catholic family; these intricate drawings allude to judgement and religious hypocrisy. Andrei Renteria (b. 1986 in Chihuahua City, Mexico) draws on socio-political issues along the US/Mexico border and his work addresses subject matter of torture, violence, and the abuse of human rights. Andrew Anderson (b. 1977 in Mexico City), employs a minimal aesthetic combined with experimental approach to drawing that are devoid of references to material culture, and thus challenge the viewer to reconsider the notion of drawing.

Many artists have generously contributed their artworks to the Museum’s Permanent Collection through donations or commissions. We acknowledge and thank the artists and patrons for the donations that have made this collection possible. Important collections are built piece by piece. Together as a community, we are creating a collection with pioneering works that teach about our culture and heritage for generations to come.

Featured Works