DESERT METRO | A Solo Exhibition by Unopuede

DESERT METRO | A Solo Exhibition By Unopuede  

January 12 – February 24, 2019

Artists Reception | Saturday, January 12, 7–9 PM

Although abstract artwork is not typically associated with narrative, UNOPUEDE’S latest assemblages are indeed a conversation. His structured, colorful, thickly layered paper collages informed by the traditions of abstract painting have been combined with earthly textured works that reflect his long-time engagement and fascination with vernacular typography.

Drawing inspiration from the diverse, multi-cultural and ever-changing landscape of his adopted home of Los Angeles, UNOPUEDE’S abstract collages, termed Paperly Paintings, convey intense emotion with no particular end in mind. By using materials that reflect his nostalgia for the wide, bare ground of his Texas homeland, the artist reveals his own identity through a tell-all narrative found in stencils made from layered dirt collected from construction sites throughout Los Angeles. By honoring the process of collecting materials for the works, UNOPUEDE has tasked himself with the duty of shining a light on Artists of Color working with influences of Bauhaus design, Abstract Expressionism, Ultraists and Spiral Art Movements.

Michael Leonardo Hernandez aka UNOPUEDE was born in the desert southwest city of El Paso, Texas, in 1982. UNOPUEDE’s work has been greatly supported by cultural institutions such as the Craft and Folk Art Museum of Los Angeles, Tropico de Nopal Art Gallery and Avenue 50 Studio Inc. He has recently debuted his first commissioned public art project for Kaiser Permanente, as well as exhibited in 2017’s Pacific Standard Time LA/LA.