Moroles: Inside the Heart and Mind of an Artistic Genius
Along with the usual 4th of July sounds of fireworks and sizzling barbecues,
this year could be heard the sound of granite at the San Angelo Museum of
Fine Arts. Texas artist Jesús Moroles was in San Angelo for the opening
of his new exhibit at the Museum, but he was also here to conduct a 'rock
concert.' And that can be taken quite literally, for Moroles presented a
performance using granite, the material he uses almost exclusively for h
is
sculptures. Along with his assistants and accompanied by members of the
audience, Moroles brought forth music from the stone which he suggests lies
hidden deep in the heart of the material. The performance culminated with
the tearing apart of a large piece of granite. Jesús
directing guests to participate in the "rock concert" for the
exhibit opening
The
sculptural artwork of Jesús Moroles is currently on exhibit at the
Museum in the upstairs galleries. The show, however, encompasses more than
a display of his artwork, for in addition to the work by Jesús Moroles
the exhibit contains a great deal of art that has been collected by the
artist. Known on an international scale, Moroles has traveled to all parts
of the world and in his travels has met many great artists and collected
many great works. A visitor to his home in Rockport, Texas is greeted by
an eclectic array of artwork, from wooden Chinese warriors to silk kimonos
to Fritz Scholder paintings or drawings by Cy Twombly. The exhibit at the
San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts has attempted to bring this world to the
viewer by displaying much of Moroles' personal collection intermix
ed
with granite sculpture done by the artist. Walking into the gallery is like
walking into his living room, and accompanying the art objects are numerous
photographs of the artist's home and sculpture studio in Rockport.
Photos of the exhibit in the SAMFA galleries showing works by Moroles and by other artists that he has collected over the years
The
exhibition in San Angelo is part of a broader retrospective of the work
of this artist which is taking place throughout this summer in four other
collaborating art museums. The San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts has come together
with The Grace Museum in Abilene, the Ellen Noel Art Museum in Odessa, the
Old Jail Art Center in Albany and the Museum of the Southwest in Midland
for a combined exhibition effort called the "West Texas Triangle: Moroles."
Each exhibition is totally different and each is a wonderful experience
in its own right. The cooperating museums are hoping that visitors will
be inspired to make an artistic pilgrimage to all five locations. SAMFA
Museum Director Howard Taylor states that "this is the first combined
exhibition undertaken by our five institutions, and Jesús Moroles
is the ideal artist for us to begin with. The heroic scale of much of his
work and its relationship to nature, the land, and the human spirit is inspiring.
Few artists could present such a compelling range of exhibitions on this
scale - Moroles can!"
Jesús Moroles was born in Corpus Christi in 1950. He
received his Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of North Texas, Denton,
Texas in 1978. From 1979-1980 he worked in Pietrasanta, Italy. Among his
distinctions, Moroles is a member of the board of the National Museum of
American Art, Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. He has ov
er
2,000 works in place in China, Egypt, France, Italy, Japan, Switzerland,
United States and in private, museum, corporate and public collections.
His sculptures have been included in over 300 museum and gallery exhibitions
worldwide. He is the 2007 Texas Medal of Arts winner for the visual arts.
Jesús in his studio at
Rockport
This logo represents a new addition to our website- video clips a.k.a. vlogcasts! Click on it to see Jesús Moroles talk about his art.
San Angelo Museum
of Fine Arts
One Love Street
San Angelo, Texas 76903
Fax: (325) 658 - 6800
Phone: (325) 653 -
3333
e-mail:
museum@samfa.org