Allan Hancock College’s Ann Foxworthy Gallery will display the work of artist Rafael Perea de la Cabada from Nov. 7 through Dec. 15.
The gallery will host a reception and an artist talk from 5:15 to 7:30 p.m. Nov. 16.
The exhibit, titled “Tiempo sin Palabras/Time without Words” will feature multiple works by Mr. Perea in a wide range of mixed media, including painting, printmaking, drawing and ceramics.
“Rafael Perea de la Cabada considers the visceral effects of art as he navigates that which is unsaid, the purely visual, more magical and mystical set in an ethereal context,” said Dr. Jill Thayer, interim gallery director, adding, “His art crosses cultural boundaries, emanating from the rich traditions of his native Mexico to connections internationally.”
A self-described “visual poet,” Mr. Perea’s work is bold, imaginative and complex.
“My concepts and ideas are generated by these interactions, both attractions and repulsions,” said Mr. Perea. “Sometimes my creativity navigates among playful thinking, humor, remembrance or gratitude. At other times, it flows from social and political discomfort, disenchantment or militant passion about current events.”
Mr. Perea was born in Mexico City and has lived in California since 1987. He received a degree from the National School of Painting, Sculpture and Printmaking in Mexico City and went on to earn a master of fine arts degree from UCSB. His work is included in numerous public and private collections in Mexico, Switzerland, Ireland, France, Germany and the United States.
“I believe the artist’s function in society is to act as an agent of change, revealing the unseen and making uncommon the common,” said Mr. Perea. “Art proposes new ways of activating what is stagnant, helps us perceive anew the mundane and unearth the timeless.”
The Ann Foxworthy Gallery is located inside the Academic Resource Center, Bldg. L on the Santa Maria campus. Gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Wednesday and 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursdays.
To learn more about the exhibit, contact Jill Thayer, director/curator (interim) at 661-428-4611 or jill.thayer@hancockcollege.edu.
email: mmcmahon@newspress.com
