Window Dressing XV: Onix Rodriguez
Exhibition dates: Oct 25th - Nov 1st, 2021
Documentary of Modern Wastelands (DMW) is an interactive series of mixed media works on paper depicting abstract forms in semi identifiable and distorted landscapes. The imagery comes from both imaginary and real-life sources that the artist distorts through the use of materials, compositional choices, and happenstance.
“I have a constant dialogue and play between abstracting the “realness” of a place, and then needing to bring it back by giving it shadow and visual weight. I like these places to have just enough “natural law” in their appearance for the viewer to identify with.”
Rodriguez demonstrates this play through the use of colored pencil and gouache applied in detailed or loose ways. This combination gives the resulting image a dream-like quality and dimension for the viewer to discover.
Interactive elements allow viewers to personally explore the images both in the exhibition space and digitally when accessed through mobile devices.
After scanning QR codes, users can interact with the landscapes, altering compositions or navigating to new works to explore different sections.
“The software used for the mobile interactive aspect Figma is typically used in the tech industry as a tool for prototyping and creating user interfaces of mobile apps and websites. Anyone with a smartphone navigates pre-formatted digital landscapes that take teams of people and user data to put together. The location of your profile picture, the distance between your apps on your phone, the way the heart turns red when you click an image you like on Instagram are all purposeful decisions someone made. I wanted to explore and use the tool in new ways and to my advantage.”
Onix Rodriguez graduated from Texas State University in 2018 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts. He has recently moved to the Dallas, Texas area and is pursuing a career as a UX Designer while maintaining his studio work of abstraction and exploration.
