Gerardo Arellano

Contemporary abstract artist Gerardo Arellano has created this work as a reflection of his travels and his intimacy with the geography in which he finds himself, especially that of the underground art and music scene in Austin, Texas. Arellano is a citizen of the time and place in which he lives, called to attention by the music and the people around him.

CUMBIA!

Arellano’s work is not a passive observation of life, but instead a living exploration of his world. He maps a cultural journey from the highlands of Colombia across all of Mexico and through “El Norte” into the beating heart of post-Latino North America. His paintings and objects blur the tangled line between past, present and future - evoking roots rhythms on canvas, syncopated against the remix generation’s cultural coalescence. Arellano’s eye penetrates disparate layers of society, allowing us a glimpse into an evolution from foundation to derivative.

His PAISA-DELLIC is a rich distillation of formless function and stylized Cumbia kitsch. We see the skewed signage of the neighborhood taqueria playing against Caribbean Dub Reggae and Hip Hop themes from North America. His pieces hold a mirror up to this generation’s obsessive search for the “next big thing,” and the comedic irony that even the most cutting edge urban trends grow from the culture of the provincial working-class.

Brian Ramos.

Austin, Tx.