Nepantla | Oliver Stephens Art

"The scope of the exhibition addresses the globally widespread concerns about immigration, identity, displacement, and segregation that converge upon our contemporary moment. It seeks to assess the boundaries- or borders- of political, social, and cultural dichotomies that affect our everyday lives. The use of social media is our generation’s primary platform for social engagement- our own version of modern activism. It is at once a vehicle for globalization, and an enabler of detached communication. The goal of this exhibition is to provide a platform where social engagement can exist, encouraging a critical discourse within art students of diverse nationalities, ethnicities, ages, and vocations.

Nepantla is a Nahuatl term— the ancient language of Aztec origin still used today by several native populations of Mexico. It indicates a concept of being “in the middle of” (different cultures, as traditionally meant by colonized Aztecs). In the arts, nepantla encompasses historical and spiritual aspects of life when being caught between literal or metaphorical crossroads. Historically, it has also been identified with painful experiences, relating to a personal state of invisibility and displacement. Understanding nepantla as a space of “in-between-ness”- where opposing ideas are viewed at the same time- we must question where boundaries within ourselves can be found, and how our personal borders interact with our surrounding environments.

As potential global leaders, we must find and promote an understanding of the diaspora of people, cultures, and ideas that is being felt worldwide. With nepantla in mind, this show seeks to bring collaborative efforts together to showcase how today’s art students are working in the midst of a disrupted socio-political sphere. If we dissect who we are now, where we come from, and where we are going, we can begin to expunge societal boundaries and emerge as a unified, human community." - Lucía Ortiz

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Industrial Culture is a collection of work inspired by the social and economic inequality between North and South America. Driven by militaries, religions, and industry a small portion of the world has established itself above the rest. The poor are cast down and used to fuel the wealthy. Weighed down and helpless there is little hope for social and economic growth.

First shown for the group exhibit Nepantla: A Space In-between, this series was presented as an installation. Industrial Culture utilizes laser-cut taskboard and modeling gesso to bring to life fantastical buildings representing a merge between church, castle, and factory. These structures “grow” prominently from the surface (assuming they are nourished). For the under-dog it is a different story; malnourished and weak one painting is barely able to stay on the wall and has been reduced to slump on the floor.

Paired with the 3D paintings is a series of prints inspired by the digital files used to laser-cut the buildings. In a dark smoggy landscape industrial machinations, gleaming citadels, and grinding gears interconnect, all the while imposed upon the landscape. These prints were created using a traditional printing press, one of the first machines to kick off industrialization.