'That's just happened'

By Carlos Don Juan

Mixed Media on Birch
22in.x17in.

Carlos Donjuan was born in San Luis Potosi, Mexico. He currently lives in Dallas, Texas, USA.
He received his BFA from the University of Texas at Arlington and his MFA from the University of Texas at San Antonio.

Artist Statement:

'The graffiti movement has been the biggest driving force behind my work since I am part of this growing art subculture. I approach and execute my work in almost the same manner that I would a piece of graffiti on a wall. The attitude that I have when I create a painting is similar to the one that I have when I am out painting the streets. My mentality is part ego, part adrenaline, part competitive, part street and always looking forward to the next project.
Mixed with the skills that I learned in the streets is the knowledge that I have gained in an academic setting. It’s binding painting’s traditional techniques with experimental forms of applying paint on a raw surface. Interweaving art history references with graffiti art’s history, which is still being made today. Creating a hybrid way of thinking made from art jargon and slang from the streets.
My paintings work as narratives that are greatly influenced by everyone from Michelangelo to Alice Neel to Twist to Revok. There are elements in these works that deal with personal influences such as Catholicism, Mexico, Oak Cliff, illegal immigration, politics and family. The portraits not only tell stories, but also document several cultures and movements that these individuals are a part of. Movements and cultures such as skateboarding, fixies, turntablelism, street wear, sneaker heads, graffiti and Hip Hop.'

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