Where I'm @

Pulling down shows
Re-organizing studio space
Grant application
Looking for exhibition ops
Portfolio image pondering
Printing little men’s work
Framing up friends’ artwork for home
Lining up schedules
Figuring taxes

Borrando La Raya/Erasing the Line

This is a print I have created for the Consejo Grafico’s latest portfolio entitled “Borrando la Raya/Erasing the Line”. The portfolio will consist of images dealing with immigration. My contribution is a 9 x 13” color linoleum block print entitled “Fallecio el Señor Urbano Ramirez” (Mr. Urbano Ramirez died).

The idea for the image came about after I heard Mr. Baldemar Velasquez, President of FLOC (Farm Labor Organizing Committee) speak at an award ceremony honoring my father, Maximino Rodriguez, with the Cesar Chavez Tri-Community Award.

Mr. Velasquez told the shocking but now all to common story of Urbano Ramirez Miranda, who died in a field in North Carolina and was not found until 10 days later. Undocumented = cheap & expendable labor.

Within his talk Mr. Velasquez, an ordained chaplain, spoke of his search through the bible for passages that deal with the treatment of the alien/immigrant among other people. He found three passages that spoke to this subject - Exodus 22;21, Numbers 15;15, and the one of which I chose to use as a footer to the image. The passage is from Leviticus 19:34 “The alien living with you must be treated as one of your native born.”

The portfolio featuring various artists from talleres(printshops) in the Consejo Grafico should be available for sale and exhibition early next year.

Materia Prima

My exhibit "Materia Prima" opens at the Crossroads Gallery in downtown South Bend, Indiana.
Reception is Friday December 4th from 5-9 p.m.

Crossroads Gallery
217 South Michigan Street
South Bend, IN 46601

The exhibition runs from November 30, 2009 - January 29, 2010.

Update: The show has been extended to run until February 19, 2010.

What's the deal?

My friends in The Deal With 44 have posted a taste of their debut cd "Fantasy of Phantoms" which features a reconstructed "Arbol de Vida" image on the cover. "Arbol..." is from the Earth Dragon suite of prints taken from the coffin created for my Dia de los Muertos installation.

blld

My painting "Materia Prima" graces the cover of the latest offering by musicians Markus Reuter and 05Ric (Ric Byer). You can hear some sneak previews at www.myspace.com/blldproject . These images are the working examples and not the final cd cover design.

More winter exhibitions

I have a couple of exhibitions happening this winter in South Bend, Indiana, USA. Follow the links for place, date and maps.


Oscura: Prints, Drawings and Paintings by Ramiro Rodriguez @ the South Bend Civic Theater Community Gallery. October - December 2009.



Materia Prima: Recent Paintings and Prints by Ramiro Rodriguez @ the Crossroads Gallery in downtown South Bend. November 30, 2009 - January 29, 2010

Dia de los Muertos @ Metropolitan Community College