El Mac: Aerosol Exalted features the work of El Mac, a native of Phoenix and celebrated artist known for bringing street art and graffiti to the world of art. His murals can be seen in cities all over the world. Tiffany Fairall, Mesa Contemporary Arts Museum associate curator and Lynn Trimble, arts writer for the Phoenix New Times discuss the exhibition being showcased at the Mesa Arts Center.
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Carey Peña: In sounds of Cultura, soc, El Mac: Aerosol Exalted, the artist of. Here with me. So, this artist is super cool. I love his work. And Lynn, I love what you wrote in the new times. You said, back in the 90s, he was painting illegally and he's painting things around the world.
Lynn Trimble: This bridge he makes before the fine arts that we see and the street art and the fact that an artist can bridge that wide of spectrum and people can see his work in public or MUSEUMs and back alleyways in Phoenix. That's how art should be. Kind of an adventure. I respect and admire him for the ability to bridge those two worlds and also show us that [Indiscernible] graffiti artists, that they just take a spray paint and they're doing their own lines. It's not necessarily their case. Tiffany can speak to this, he's really so well-rounded in the art of European history, Latino art. I love the fact that he's so well-educated and you know, yet, he's this humble guy that goes out and gives the art in a public way. Almost like, here's a blessing for our community.
Carey Peña: Talk about the significance of el mac.
Lynn Trimble: it's very exciting, not only to hale to a local artist. He really does showcase anti-academia. He's a self-taught artist. It's not something you learn in school. He's self-taught and self-studies.
Carey Peña: He deals a lot in the photo realism realm. He works with the subjects of his every day life. He tries to turn, you know, simple subjects into beautiful, spectacular art and I think that's quite something. It's telling a story.
Lynn Trimble: You know, it was remarkable when I was there watching him paint -- and tiffany was there for a lot of that. He had his friends around him. He had Karen, who is the subject for the mural and [Indiscernible] was able to be there at some point. Karen's husband and [Indiscernible], who's a huge, one of the key graffiti artists from the 90s, who actually lives in mesa, was there and helped paint part of that mural. When you watch him paint, he's surrounded by love and he's giving it off and taking it in and it's all this beautiful personal and community -- this real depth of character and love for art and, you know, the world around him.
Carey Peña: So what do you want people to know about this exhibit?
Tiffany Fairall: They go to the mesa art center website and check out the images we have on display. The display is on view until August 7 and mesa art center is in downtown mesa. You can see the beautiful mural. He likes to depict people's ordinary life. Some things we just ignore, in society, if you will. It doesn't have to be the great. We're all special and he's kind of focusing on that.
Carey Peña: Ladies, thank you so much. Thanks to all of you for watching. From all of us here at "Horizonte," I'm Carey Peña in tonight for Jose Cárdenas. Have a great night.
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Tiffany Fairall: Mesa Contemporary Arts Museum Associate Curator, Lynn Trimble: Arts Writer for the Phoenix New Times
