From Round Rock, Texas
Artist Statement:
Though I ground most of my work in factual experiences or situations, I alter and blend the realities of events and places with elements of mythology, hearsay and conspiracy in an attempt to recreate incredible spectacles or deeply biased emotions. I do this mainly through the use of relief sculpture or miniature set designs. Today’s cycles of existence revolve around social, private and industrial structures and environments which may seem mundane or monotonous yet carry heavy subliminal weights that seep into our decisions and emotions. This, coupled with the saturation of violence, sex, and politics through social media and world news, provides consistent nurturing suitable to accommodate my pseudo-fictional artistic practice. Some of the theories and ideas surrounding my work are concerning and sometimes hard to believe; however, within my own practice and philosophy I find it more satisfying remaining the incredulous observer to what could have been or should have been rather than presenting my work as a preaching, statement, or fact. Whether the narratives I present are personal or not, they exist in a realm between fact and fiction and deeply-rooted insinuation.
Artist Biography:
Yousif De Valle holds a BFA from Texas Christian University (2008) and an MFA from the University of Minnesota (2012). Following graduation, he worked as a foundryman at St. Paul Brass and Aluminum Foundry in St. Paul, Minnesota. After one year there, he was promoted to Quality Manager and served for three additional years at the foundry. He has worked as a welder and fabricator for a prop fabrication shop and a museum exhibit shop in Minneapolis. In addition to his teaching career, he has been a practicing artist and artist’s consultant for the last twelve years. During this time, he has completed a number of jobs and commissions including a collaboration with sculptor Chris Larson and the late artist and Husker Du drummer Grant Hart; this project included the reproduction of Hart’s percussion section featured on his album Land Speed Record for the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis. A 2020 project of Yousif’s is the curation of an exhibition with a colleague from the University of Colorado that addresses the escalation in gun violence seen throughout the country.