Native San Antonio artist Vincent Valdez brings large-scale, vivid portraits to life.
From a trilogy that explores white supremacy through images of the Ku Klux Klan, to a series that features the portraits of modern lynched men, Valdez’s work challenges symbols of power in society.
Two decades of Valdez’s artwork is now on display at the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston (CAHM) as part of his first-ever museum survey, Vincent Valdez Just a Dream…
Valdez said his artwork is meant to make you feel and reflect on your own experiences and observations.
“(Art) elements are only part of a mere equation that takes you beyond — transcends you beyond the canvas, beyond the image itself,” he said. “It has to take you somewhere else.”
Valdez said the title of the survey comes from Jimmy Clanton’s 1953 song.
“It served as a perfect exhibition title because I thought that it would engage the viewer and give the viewer or force the viewer to become an active participant,” he said. “You decide, is it all just a dream … or do you use those dreams and turn them into a real reality?”
Vincent Valdez: Just a Dream… is co-organized by CAHM and the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art (MASS MoCA).
It’s on display at CAMH through March 23 and will be presented at MASS MoCA starting in May.
Watch a snippet of Valdez talking about his work on PBS below:
