Endless Endeavors | Benjamin Muñoz
May 20 - June 18, 2022
Artist Statement:
In my work I seek to provide a narrative to the American experience from my
perspective. I do this by telling stories using imagery and composition. Told from
my perspective, these stories are personal to me however I've found that they’re
not unique to me. These are the stories of our community and culture told under
the backdrop of our current climate. Easily relatable because we share in our
struggles and triumphs.
I stack imagery in my work to provide structure to the narrative. Sometimes the
stack of objects is chronological, a linear timeline starting from the base then
moving to the top. In other cases the imagery could be in order of relevance or
importance. The object at the bottom of the piece holds that placement because
without it nothing else could stand, it’s what that object represents that is the
foundation of the story.
Identity and cultural assimilation has become a central theme in my recent work.
What does it look like to lose cultural identity through generations and how do we
balance that transformation while living in a society that assigns ideas and identity
to people based on physical appearance? What does it mean to lose our native
language? What should we let go of and fight to hold on to? Where is the line
between embracing who I currently am in this life and honoring the past identity of
my ancestors? These thoughts and questions are oftentimes unique to immigrants
and their families as they come into the US. That’s who this recent body of work is
for and who it represents. The work is an open dialogue that can bring comfort to
those who relate to it and provide insight to those who are outsiders.
Artist Bio:
Benjamin Muñoz is a Dallas based artist whose primary focus is printmaking. His
work is often reflective of his heritage, upbringing, and current surroundings. Muñoz
stacks the imagery in his work to symbolize the idea of everything in life being
dependent on what came before it. A largely self taught artist, Muñoz has had
several solo exhibitions throughout the United States and his artwork is in several
museum and private collections across the United States such as the Mexic Arte
Museum and the National Museum of Mexican Art. Muñoz currently serves as board
president of Print Austin and is the founder/director of Familia Printshop in Dallas,
Texas. His work has been published and discussed in several arts and culture
publications, blogs, podcasts and portfolios. And he regularly gives artist talks at
studios, galleries, and universities throughout the country.
In my work I seek to provide a narrative to the American experience from my
perspective. I do this by telling stories using imagery and composition. Told from
my perspective, these stories are personal to me however I've found that they’re
not unique to me. These are the stories of our community and culture told under
the backdrop of our current climate. Easily relatable because we share in our
struggles and triumphs.
I stack imagery in my work to provide structure to the narrative. Sometimes the
stack of objects is chronological, a linear timeline starting from the base then
moving to the top. In other cases the imagery could be in order of relevance or
importance. The object at the bottom of the piece holds that placement because
without it nothing else could stand, it’s what that object represents that is the
foundation of the story.
Identity and cultural assimilation has become a central theme in my recent work.
What does it look like to lose cultural identity through generations and how do we
balance that transformation while living in a society that assigns ideas and identity
to people based on physical appearance? What does it mean to lose our native
language? What should we let go of and fight to hold on to? Where is the line
between embracing who I currently am in this life and honoring the past identity of
my ancestors? These thoughts and questions are oftentimes unique to immigrants
and their families as they come into the US. That’s who this recent body of work is
for and who it represents. The work is an open dialogue that can bring comfort to
those who relate to it and provide insight to those who are outsiders.
Artist Bio:
Benjamin Muñoz is a Dallas based artist whose primary focus is printmaking. His
work is often reflective of his heritage, upbringing, and current surroundings. Muñoz
stacks the imagery in his work to symbolize the idea of everything in life being
dependent on what came before it. A largely self taught artist, Muñoz has had
several solo exhibitions throughout the United States and his artwork is in several
museum and private collections across the United States such as the Mexic Arte
Museum and the National Museum of Mexican Art. Muñoz currently serves as board
president of Print Austin and is the founder/director of Familia Printshop in Dallas,
Texas. His work has been published and discussed in several arts and culture
publications, blogs, podcasts and portfolios. And he regularly gives artist talks at
studios, galleries, and universities throughout the country.
