School of Art welcomes sculptor Arcega

One of the mainstays of the Lamar Dodd Schol of Art is a constant schedule of visiting artists and scholars. Bringing artists in to critique and lecture helps the school maintain a fresh approach to the student experience and gives everyone on campus the chance to learn about new work. That experience continues next week with sculptor Michael Arcega:

Interdisciplinary artist Michael Arcega, widely known for his installations and sculptural work using language as well as conventional materials, will present a talk, “Westward Expansion and Eastward Compression,” on Oct. 9 at 5:30 p.m. in Room S151 of the Lamar Dodd School of Art.

A 2012 recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship in the Fine Arts, Arcega is based in San Francisco but currently working in the Artadia Residency Program in New York City.

Arcega’s works are premised on a variety of subjects including historic events and even jokes. He is often written about as a conceptual artist. His El Conquistadork, for example, is a 10-foot tall replica of a Spanish galleon Arcega constructed out of manila envelopes that was sailed on a California bay.

Born in Manila, the capital city of the Philippines, Arcega has demonstrated an interest in Filipino history and global-socio political issues, often in the service of his own fascination with wordplay. 

“Language is one of the most important subjects I work in and about,” Arcega said. “Growing up bilingual and migrating to California elevated this interest. I have always enjoyed puns—and that interest has developed into work with metaphors and contact linguistics. Somehow, language is always part of my work—sometimes it’s the only (in)visible thread running through my practice.”

Arcega's talk is free and open to the public. See you there.

Image: Baby, by Michael Arcega. Wood, fabric, aluminum, mixed media.