Skip to end of content Humanscape 95: Bird Watching Art, 1978. Mel Casas, "Humanscape 87" More slideshows. Not to mention being the first president of Con Safo, a pioneering Chicano art group in the early 1970s and his 29 years of teaching art at San Antonio College. Through September 27. His signature “Humanscape” paintings were designed as "impact pieces" intended to challenge… Website powered by Foundation, « Daphid Unveils Controversial Body Of Work At K23 Gallery, Artist On Artist: Gary Sweeney Probes Ricky Armendariz On Work & Mentoring », McNay Hosting Gallery Talk on Legacy of Late San Antonio Artist Mel Casas, Leveling the Playing Field: Convention Center Brings More San Antonio Artists Into the Fold, Twirl’s Lisa Weller Shares Highlights From Haute Couture Week in Paris, San Antonio’s Latest Co-Working Space Is About to Open, Civil Attorney From Mexico Moves To SA For The Arts, Humanizing Crisis: Borderland Collective’s ‘One to Another’ Takes a Compassionate Look at Immigration, McNay's ‘Immersed’ Showcases SA Artist Chris Sauter Alongside International Art Stars, Artist Ana Fernandez Captures the Essence of San Antonio in Puro Exhibition 'Still Life', The San Antonio River Walk holiday lights will remain lit until Valentine's Day, KLRN and Presa House Gallery present online screening of, Notice Regarding Coronavirus Event Cancellations, International House of Pancakes (Wurzbach). Available for sale from Ruiz-Healy Art, Mel Casas, Humanscape 95: Bird Watching Art (1978), Acrylic on canvas, 72 × 96 in Sep 26, 2018 - Currently on view at the McNay art museum in San Antonio, in conjunction with the exhibition Pop América, 1965–1975, is a presentation of six … Late in life, he even turned down opportunities to have museum shows that would have helped solidify his legacy," Cordova noted. The next painting is the fetus abstracted in a projected image. Instead, Casas, who died last year, had to settle for a minor retrospective in 1988 at Austin's Laguna Gloria Art Museum. Cordova traced the beginning of the Humanscapes to an epiphany Casas had in 1965 when he drove past the San Pedro drive-in movie theater. ", [SLIDESHOW: 21 Paintings From ‘Getting the Big Picture: Mel Casas and the Politics of the 1960s and 1970s’ At Galería Guadalupe]. Sign in to check out Check out as guest . Next, Casas added stenciled captions to the bottom of his paintings, making conceptual wordplay an important aspect of his work. San Antonio Current San Antonio-based artist Mel Casas died on November 30, 2014 after a two-year battle with cancer. The César Chávez-led United Farm Workers movement inspired Kitchen Spanish, based on a book that taught Anglo housewives how to talk to their help; New Horizons, the UFW flag rising over toiling farm laborers; and Show of Hands, signs by different-colored hands that could be positive or negative, depending on where they're flashed. © 2021 This painting, which comes from a larger series of works called “Humanscapes,” were actually inspired by Casas’ experience seeing a drive-in movie screen and seeing these huge images of … Hello Select your address All Hello, Sign in. Melesio Casas, Humanscape 141: Barrio Dog, 1987, acrylic on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase through the Luisita L. and Franz … Inventories of American Painting and Sculpture, Art Bridges + Terra Foundation Initiative, Using the Nam June Paik Archive - Access and Hours, Highlights from the Nam June Paik Archive, Online Resources for Researching Nam June Paik, Publication Requests for the Nam June Paik Archive. Overview. View all works. Humanscape 42.jpg. 1992 Mel Casas Humanscape painting Houston gallery vintage print ad. © 2018 Mel Casas Family Trust He used visual statements, his sense of humor and love of puns to "address cultural stereotypes." Mel Casas: Humano presenta seis obras de la serie Humanscape del artista, así como ocho Cajas de Arte—nunca antes expuestas—en la primera exposición individual en honor a Casas en el Museo McNay. With the history of art as its foundation, Kelker took several steps to correlate Casas’ body of works to America’s social history, popular culture, psychology, gender studies, and issues of social justice. All public programs are online only, on-site public tours and events are currently suspended. The term "Humanscape" may have come from his painting of a large female nude reclining on the screen. The 153 paintings that San Antonio-based artist Mel Casas calls Humanscapes were inspired by a glimpse of a drive-in movie screen. Acrylic on canvas. Melesio "Mel" Casas (24 noviembre 1929 a 30 noviembre 2014) fue un chicano artista, activista, escritor y profesor. His signature “Humanscape” paintings were designed as "impact pieces" intended to challenge… For a chronological tour, start with the earliest paintings in "Sex and Cinema with Mel Casas, 1965-1968" at FL!GHT gallery through Saturday (August 22). Follow. Through October 24, Free, By appointment, FL!GHT Gallery,134 Blue Star, (210) 872-2586, facebook.com/flightsa (function() { While he took pride in his Mexican-American heritage, Casas chaffed against the Chicano label. Sign in to check out Check out as guest . © 2018 Mel Casas Family Trust Mel Casas began his Humanscape series after witnessing a woman, projected onto a drive-in movie screen, munching on trees. Works for sale (15) Notable Works. Follow. For more information, go to www.tamusa-ecac.com. He has had a number of solo exhibitions, including one earlier this year at San Antonio College, entitled Mel Casas: Artist as Cultural Adjuster. 2 of 9 “Humanscape 62 (Brownies of the Southwest),” a 1970 painting by Mel Casas, is part of the permanent collection at the Smithsonian American Art Museum. script.setAttribute('data-npo-id', npo); In Casas’ hands Pop Art became a vehicle for cultural, social and political commentary from a Chicano point-of-view. Skip to main content.sg. ‎Mel Casas: Artist as Cultural Adjuster showcases the work of American Pop Artist Mel Casas. San Antonio-based artist Mel Casas died on November 30, 2014 after a two-year battle with cancer. Titles. Mel Casas Family Trust. Price: US $9.99. Until very recently, Casas painted tirelessly throughout the decades. [SLIDESHOW: 10 Paintings From ‘Sex and Cinema with Mel Casas, 1965-1968’ At FL!GHT Gallery], However, the notorious "Barbie incident" may have made the local art establishment leery of Casas' cantankerousness. Mel Casas Humanscape 51 Expand Favorite. During his lifetime, the El Paso-born painter never had a major exhibit at one of his adopted hometown's museums, despite being included in the 1975 Whitney Biennial and the landmark "Chicano Art: Resistance and Affirmation" in the 1990s. Mel Casas. Casas' creamy, candy-colored paintings spoofing Southwestern stereotypes are easy to enjoy and still provide a fresh look at shibboleths such as Southwestern desert landscapes, Georgia O'Keeffe-style still-life paintings and, to quote Jon Stewart, political/cultural "bullshit." San Antonio Current Staff 54 images. Courtesy San Antonio College Show More Show Less 3 of 10 "Humanscape 62 (Brownies of the Southwest)," a 1970 painting by Mel Casas, will … The paintings and their images are not to be reproduced, copied, or used for any other purposes without explicit permission.. Join the SA Current Press Club. Available for sale from Ruiz-Healy Art, Mel Casas, Humanscape 135: #2 Mexican Plate (1984), Acrylic on canvas, 72 × 96 in Mel Casas: Humanscapes. Photo courtesy Mel Casas Family Trust Artists Respond at The Smithsonian. Mel (Melesio) Casas - Humanscape 43, 1968. "Casas became disillusioned with galleries and museums. Humanscape 51; Date 1969. Fittingly, the earliest painting depicts a monochromatic fetus. Until very recently, Casas painted tirelessly throughout the decades. (182.9 × 243.8 cm) Credit Line Bequest of Robert H. Wilson, Jr. New art exhibition coming to Centro de Artes June 11-Sept. 27. Casas is best known for a handful of paintings with Chicano themes, such as Humanscape 65 (New Horizons, 1971) and Humanscape 68 (Kitchen Spanish, 1973), which have been featured in many traveling exhibitions. For more information, go to www.tamusa-ecac.com. His work has been collected by the San Antonio Museum of Art, Smithsonian American Art Museum, and nationally and internationally. Adding to your cart. San Antonio Current works for you, and your support is essential. Unlike many newspapers, ours is free – and we'd like to keep it that way, because we believe, now more than ever, everyone deserves access to accurate, independent coverage of their community. "Mel Casas: Artist as Cultural Adjuster" is a book that will appeal to many audiences from everyday people to academics. This exhibition is organized by Bianca Alvarez, Semmes Foundation Intern in … Whether it's a one-time acknowledgement of this article or an ongoing pledge, your support helps keep San Antonio's true free press free. In 2012, the Smithsonian purchased its second work by Casas, Humanscape 62 (Brownies of the Southwest). The item you've selected was not added to … January 2, 2021, Tempting as it may be to scour big-name online retailers for holiday gifts, we're here to remind you that the, By San Antonio Current Staff |  Mel Casas: Human is presented in tandem with Pop América, 1965–1975, in which the artist is also featured; the two exhibitions mark the premiere of the artist’s work at the McNay. A notable exception may be Casas' best-known painting, Brownies of the Southwest (1970), which contrasts a brown-skinned Girl Scout with a chocolate dessert and Latino icons, purchased three years ago by the Smithsonian American Art Museum and currently included in the national touring exhibit "Our America: The Latino Presence in American Art. Humanscape - An Exhibition in Tribute to Mel Casas By Office of University Communications Tuesday, 05 26 2015. Item Information. ", "Casas is arguably the most influential San Antonio artist of the second half of the 20th century," Cordova told the San Antonio Current. Humanscape 45.jpg. Mel Casas Humanscape 51 Expand Favorite. Photo: MEL CASAS / … Humanscapes is one of the most remarkable series of paintings in the history of American art.". "Mel Casas: Artist as Cultural Adjuster" is a book that will appeal to many audiences from everyday people to academics. Casas decided it would be his last Humanscape because he had run out of clichés to mock. A line of penis columns provides a backdrop for a Phallocractic arms race. But it's taken me years to convince his family and local institutions to have this show," said Cordova, who is working on a book about Casas. Dimensions 72 × 96 in. "He taught generations of artists at SAC and he was a respected theorist, teacher and mentor. I think this is why he refused to show much in San Antonio. This painting, which comes from a larger series of works called “Humanscapes,” were actually inspired by Casas’ experience seeing a drive-in movie screen and seeing these huge images of people and things. Followers 31. In this blog post, Curator for Latino Art E. Carmen Ramos reflects on the importance of Casas' art. 2 of 9 “Humanscape 62 (Brownies of the Southwest),” a 1970 painting by Mel Casas, is part of the permanent collection at the Smithsonian American Art Museum. Casas is best known for a handful of paintings with Chicano themes, such as Humanscape 65 (New Horizons, 1971) and Humanscape 68 (Kitchen Spanish, 1973), which have been featured in many traveling exhibitions. The 153 paintings that San Antonio-based artist Mel Casas calls Humanscapes were inspired by a glimpse of a drive-in movie screen. He is best known for his series of 150 large-scale paintings called "Humanscapes" that were painted … E. CARMEN RAMOS: This is Mel Casas’ “Humanscape 62,” which is a painting that he executed in 1970. Currently on view at the McNay art museum in San Antonio, in conjunction with the exhibition Pop América, 1965–1975, is a presentation of six large-scale paintings and eight other works by the late San Antonio-based artist Mel Casas (1929-2014). After several paintings of people in movie theaters, Casas arrived at an eight-by-six-foot format proportionately similar to a movie screen. The last painting, Gazing, features a starry Texas sky. Casas painted “Humanscape 47 (Still-Life)” as a tribute to Robert F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr., who were both assassinated that year, and John F. Kennedy, who was killed in 1963. Subscribe now to get the latest news delivered right to your inbox. Humanscape 51; Date 1969. The Smithsonian American Art Museum is proud to own paintings by artist, including Humanscape 62, which was featured in our exhibition Our America: The Latino Presence in American Art.In this blog post, Curator for Latino Art E. Carmen Ramos reflects on the importance of Casas' art. Courtesy San Antonio College Show More Show Less 3 of 10 "Humanscape 62 (Brownies of the Southwest)," a 1970 painting by Mel Casas, will become … Humanscape - An Exhibition in Tribute to Mel Casas By Office of University Communications Tuesday, 05 26 2015. Ruiz-Healy Art’s "Mel Casas: Iconic Reality" features a body of work not shown together previously. Published on May 15, 2013. . Mel Casas: Human is presented in tandem with Pop América, 1965–1975, in which the artist is also featured; the two exhibitions mark the premiere of the artist’s work at the McNay. Medium Acrylic on canvas. It is curated by Ruben C. Cordova and is the first exhibition of its kind to focus on the politically themed paintings from the “Humanscape” series. He used visual statements, his sense of humor and love of puns to "address cultural stereotypes." His work has been collected by the San Antonio Museum of Art, Smithsonian American Art Museum, and nationally and internationally. Available for sale from Ruiz-Healy Art, Mel Casas, Humanscape 94: Art Lures (1978), Acrylic on canvas, 72 × 96 in Available for sale from Ruiz-Healy Art, Mel Casas, Visual Scent (1999), Acrylic on canvas, 24 × 24 in })(); Podcast examining Tejano star Selena Quintanilla’s impact on culture launches next week, Monster Jam truck rally at Alamodome postponed until July, DreamWeek’s virtual discussions aim to build civic engagement, We all need to stop doomscrolling and find better things to look at on social media right now. In 2012, the Smithsonian purchased its second work by Casas, Humanscape 62 (Brownies of the Southwest). Humanscape 38.jpg. Mel Casas & The Humanscapes 428 visualizaciones. In this piece, Casas simultaneously elevates and harmonizes a culture and aesthetic with the natural world surrounding it. [SLIDESHOW: 30 Paintings From ‘Mel Casas: The Southwestern Clichés, 1982-1989’ At A&M Arts Center]. 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