Printmaking With A Rock ‘n’ Roll Twist: Carlos Hernandez’s ‘Past and Present’ On Display At Wright Gallery
An exhibition showcasing the work of artist Carlos Hernandez continues through Jan. 11 at Wright Gallery in the Langford Architecture Center, Building A.
Hosted by the Texas A&M School of Performance, Visualization and Fine Arts and the School of Architecture, “Past and Present: Alternative Prints and Sketches” includes printmaking, sketches and commercial music posters.
Hernandez engaged in a workshop on Nov. 16 with an Arts Design class, said Rebecca Pugh, instructional assistant professor and Wright Gallery curator. She said her students enjoyed discussing and analyzing his designs.
“My students were able to learn more about Carlos’ creative process and make real-world connections for the collage and mixed media techniques they have explored in my course,” Pugh said. “In my role as both a curator and instructor, I enjoy organizing unique opportunities for students to engage with artists.”
Hernandez, a Lubbock native, said his exhibition encompasses work he created in the past five years, including concert posters, collages and sketchbooks. His influences include Mexican folk art, Western culture and music, pop culture and social media.
“I don’t think my goal was to ever be a full-time artist,” he said. “But there was a series of events that led me to my path I am on now. Sometimes life comes at you, and you roll with whatever comes and you find what makes it all work.”
During his artist talk on Nov. 15, he showed examples of his brightly colored imagery of some of his favorite things: skulls, snakes, UFOs, cowboys and patterns, all with a “rock ’n’ roll twist,” he said.
Hernandez said his artistic interests began as a child, and that music inspired him to draw.
“Pop culture was also a big influence,” he said. “I would read or see things on TV — a logo, a cartoon — and something inside of me wanted to replicate that. I would just draw anything that was popular.”
A printmaking class Hernandez took at Texas Tech University led him toward focusing on that medium. Though he had only just been introduced to the art, he said he fell in love with the process.
Hernandez described printmaking as the process of creating works, primarily on paper, using ink and different techniques like screen-printing and woodcuts, he said. Artists makes multiple prints of the original image, he said.
The process of printmaking is what inspires him to finish a piece, he said, with the anticipation of seeing the end result adding to the dedication he puts into it. Being able to replicate the artwork and print multiple copies is another part of the process he enjoys.
“I like the journey to get there, the process of making that print,” he said. “It’s the process and the journey that is beautiful.”
After graduating with a graphic design degree in 1992, Hernandez relocated to Houston for commercial work. His art has been featured at The Smithsonian Institution, and he has created works for the Austin City Limits Music Festival, Apple, Levi’s and Live Nation.
Hernandez said he hopes his art will influence and inspire other artists.
“I hope they take away a sense of energy that there are alternative ways of looking at things, and alternative ways of creating things that aren’t the norm,” he said. “The show has a bit of everything, but it all looks like it was done by the same hand. I’m hoping somebody sees that and views art differently.”
Top photo: Large-scale pieces are part of Carlos Hernandez’s work on display. Photo by Rebecca Pugh, Wright Gallery curator
