noé olivas: Que sueñes con los angelitos
USC Roski Fine Arts Gallery, April 11–18, 2019
Curated by Joseph Daniel Valencia
In his MFA thesis exhibition, noé olivas uses printmaking, sculpture, and performance to continue his ongoing meditation on the poetics of labor. Works on view draw upon personal belongings and cultural symbols to consider the ways that labor is performed, contested, and made invisible. From the 1987 white Ford Ranger he acquired from his parents to his longstanding experimentation with the image of the Sleeping Mexican, olivas channels various reference points through the language of poetics to chart an alternative pathway of meaning-making and reflection.
The exhibition’s title, Que sueñes con los angelitos, is drawn from a phrase layered with meaning. It can be used to wish sweet dreams to a sleeping loved one or can equally serve as a protective prayer against negative energy. For olivas, the phrase is also an ode to Los Angeles–a city where mentors, friends, and angels have guided him and nurtured his artistic practice.
noé olivas is a Southern California-based artist. Trained as a printmaker and sculptor, olivas began challenging himself to utilize live performance to embody labor and connect with working-class communities. His work has been exhibited at Residency Art Gallery, Inglewood, CA (2019); Charlie James Gallery, Los Angeles, CA (2019); La Jolla Historical Society, San Diego, CA (2018); San Diego Art Institute (2017); San Diego Museum of Art (2017); The New Children’s Museum, San Diego, CA (2017); and as part of the 2018 MexiCali Biennial. His performances have been featured at ltd los angeles (2019); Hauser & Wirth, Los Angeles (with Patrisse Cullors) (2018); NADA and Prizm Art Fairs, Miami, FL (with Patrisse Cullors) (2018); and at Santee Alley/Los Callejones as part of Rafa Esparza’s de la Calle exhibition at the Institute of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles (2018). He holds a Master of Fine Arts from the University of Southern California and a Bachelor of Arts in Visual Arts from the University of San Diego. He lives and works in South Central, Los Angeles, CA.
The exhibition is made possible by contributions from Ana Briz, La Familia Olivas, Juan Morales, Star Montana, Alex Dorriz, Jake Freilich, Patrisse Cullors, Elon Schoenholz, Rafi Kopacz, Nao Bustamante, Ruben Ochoa, Edgar Arceneaux, Brian Gebel, Laura Gutiérrez, Zeina Baltagi, Alfonso Gonzalez Jr., Claudia Cano, Allie Mundt, Edward Wesson, Jonathan Crisman, William Simmons, Shannon Starkey, Zulma Aguiar, Loujian Bager, Emma y Frankie Malgesini, Petty Barbiero, and other anonymous donors.
Image: noé olivas, Reunidos, 2019, performance documentation. Courtesy of the artist and ltd los angeles. Photo credit: Blake Jacobsen.
Installation photography: Star Montana.
