Artist Interview with Cesar Piedra
Cesar Piedra, detail view El Ritual, 2023. Image courtesy the artist.
Ellie Rush Interview with Cesar Piedra
Cesar Piedra is an interdisciplinary artist, born in Southern California and raised in Northern Nevada. He received his Bachelor of Fine Arts with an emphasis in ceramics and a minor in art history at the University of Nevada Reno. His Art practice is informed by the rich history of the Mesoamerican and Mexican-American cultures. Piedra’s mash-up of Mesoamerican and contemporary subject matter and iconography allows him to make connections to the ancestral culture of Mexico to share, critique, and explore conversations about the evolution of culture. He co-curated (with Geovany Uranda in collaboration with Scrambled Eggs Art Gallery) the 2023 exhibition Hija/e/o/x(s) de Su - presented at the Holland Project in Reno, Nevada and at Nuwu Art Gallery and Community Center in Las Vegas.
ER - How did you first get into curating?
CP - It kind of just happened, I didn't have a goal to get into curating shows or to take on that kind of responsibility, with holding folks to deadlines, and replying to emails. Being an artist and showing up led me to meet some stellar people and have some fun conversations with them. The exhibitions that come out of those conversations create a space where we can continue those chats, and start new dialogues with visual art.
Can you talk about the curatorial process for Hija/e/o/x(s) de Su–? What was that like, and was it any different from your previous experiences co-curating Hijos de Su– and The Burrito Show?
The first Hijos de Su- and The Burrito Show were great places to start and develop a curatorial process. For the first Hijos show, Häsler Gómez and I invited artists that we knew and were excited about, we didn't have a theme and the show functioned as a general survey of art by latina/e/o/x artists. While The Burrito Show was more of an open call/silent auction for the benefit of the Burrito Project here in Reno. For The Burrito Show, I collaborated with writer and artist Pax Robinson and the Holland Project.
The sequel we've dubbed “Hija/e/o/x(s) De Su-” by design was a collaborative project as I partnered up with Geovany Uranda and Emmanuel Muñoz. Geo and I conceptualized the exhibition in a way that allowed us to challenge and experiment with the established curatorial practices of art institutions. This made us want to be more involved and create content other than just the exhibition, and we partnered up with Scrambled Eggs [Scrambled Eggs Gallery] to manage the content we had created through the whole process. Both The Holland Project and Nuwu Art Gallery and Community Center provided resources for extra community involvement and interaction with the artists and curators - through panel discussions, workshops, interviews, and radio shows.
I read in your and Geo’s brief interview with Double Scoop that Hija/e/o/x(s) de Su– is a sequel to the guerilla-style exhibition Hijos de Su– and that, in Geo’s words, the first exhibition was “appropriating space, and with this one, we’re creating space.” Can you elaborate on that?
The first iteration of the Hijx was an experiment in which Häsler Gómez and I would make work and then want to document it for our portfolios. So naturally, we began to appropriate space at UNR, during the summer and winter breaks there wasn't much going on in the galleries so we began exhibiting work to document and through our critiques and conversations we found ourselves wanting to do more. These interactions and iterations of shows taught me the process of putting exhibitions together and opened my world to collaboration, for the benefit of the collective rather than the individual.
For Hija/e/o/x(s) de Su- Geo and I approached/applied to exhibit at Holland and Nuwu Art Gallery and Community Center. We wanted to give the art an appropriate amount of time and space for the audience and artists to share personal narratives and establish a dialogue. So, the difference of appropriating space versus creating space would be asking permission to exhibit.
In that same Double Scoop piece, I read that part of the goal of Hija/e/o/x(s) de Su– was to “bridge the gap between the Latinx communities in Las Vegas and Reno.” Now that the show has been exhibited in both places, would you say you achieved that?
I believe that we have established a connection, there is much work left to do to nurture, cultivate, and expand that relationship with the communities. My hope for the project was to continue to have interactions and commit to new collaborative projects with the wonderful artists that thrive in Las Vegas.
Has there been any difference in response to the show between Reno and Las Vegas?
The response to the exhibition from both communities has been positive, supportive and inspiring, thank you!!
Cesar Piedra, El Ritual, Spray paint on joint compound, felted wool, high fired ceramics, Gold Leaf, 2023.
How does your piece El Ritual in the exhibition Hija/e/o/x(s) de Su– connect to the show’s overall themes?
My piece El Ritual makes connections to the theme of nostalgia. I present the Macuahuitl and Cross as Modelo bottles. These ritual objects sit atop an altar. For this work I elevated the habitual modes of drinking as a ritualistic practice.
How did you get started as a studio artist, and what drew you to your materials and media of choice?
I spent the majority of my 20’s in art studios; as a student worker/lab tech for the art department at TMCC [Truckee Meadows Community College] and UNR. When you're a lab tech/student worker you don't get paid much, but you do get access to materials and studio space. So I dedicated a majority of my time to making.
Accessibility is what draws me to the materials that I use, if the environments I inhabit allow space for specific materials I will take full advantage. Like ceramic studios allow the use of clay and glaze so I got obsessed with terracotta, the sculpture studio had these big tables where I could spread my materials and tools to work with construction/building materials. I got into felting because I could do it in my bedroom/living room.
Cesar Piedra, Nuestros Juegos Antiguos, spray paint on joint compound, mortar, 2022.
It looks like you use a wide variety of materials and media while exploring similar identity-related themes across different pieces. Does the material or method of expression you use affect or change your perspective on those themes?
My use of mixed media relates to the complexity of identity, as no one can be defined by a singular thing. My exploration of cultural identity begins in a “root” ancestral culture, a point in history and then is explored, modified, and influenced through contemporary themes and iconography. With each piece I feel like I am less concerned with “Identity” as the sole theme of the work as it is just one of the many components or themes within the layers in which I build works of art.
Has your art allowed you to better process or come to terms with the struggles of your bicultural background?
Yes, my practice helps me ask questions about culture, history, and colonialism. My sense of humor and relationship to these themes help me poke fun, make connections, and experiment.
Cesar Piedra, The Beautiful Game, Terracotta, concrete, obsidian, balon de futbol, 2020-21.
How have your viewers responded to your exploration of identity-related themes? Has it generally been positive, or negative, or has anyone expressed how they relate to what you’ve gone through?
The moments where I've gallery sat and done tours of exhibitions the audience seems like they are relatively jazzed with my work, especially when I express where the works come from. With my exhibition En lo que Ser there were a few occasions where latina/e/o/x folks say they feel represented in my work, which is always a great feeling. The other side of that coin is also very rewarding. In 2014 I exhibited La Conquista and those works of art upset a lot of old white people. One lady tried to get the work taken down, which brought me joy as an artist, because it made me feel heard. To sum it up, my thoughts at the time were “I get to learn about my ancestors, express my feelings about colonization AND piss of white people. Sign me up!!!”
Are you getting ready to or currently exploring any new themes through your work?
No new themes yet, I need to get back into the swing of research to try to tackle a new theme. I am having some fun experimenting with new materials, and expanding off of some one-off pieces I've done in the past.
What are you working on now? Is there anything new we should look out for?
I am curating a show in Reno, at Truckee Meadows Community College, titled Best of Show. The exhibition will feature four artists including myself. The exhibition is a departure from the exhibitions I've curated in the past, as I will be solo curating. I have chosen to feature my mentors and friends from my undergrad. We all work in very unique styles and share this very unique comradery. Currently, we are all in different spots in our lives and careers than we were a few years ago. I spent a majority of my time in undergrad with these folks. I miss the conversations and general studio fuckery, so this is an ode to those times. It opens February 12 to March 14th.
Cesar Piedra, Reciprocity, Felted wool, 2022.
All images courtesy the artist. For more on Cesar Piedra’s work visit his website.
ELLIE RUSH is an artist, writer, and student. She was born and raised in Las Vegas, and has created many local private and public artworks, including a mural for the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, a painting for the Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine building, and utility box paintings in the Arts District as part of the City of Las Vegas AMP Program. She creates mixed media artworks referencing her own photographic collages. Her themes primarily include everyday life, internal wrestling, and the relationship between the individual and the universal. She earned her Associate of Arts in Art from the College of Southern Nevada, and is currently earning both her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Art and her Bachelor of Arts in English. Link to her Instagram.
Posted and published by Wendy Kveck on January 30, 2024.