Ronnie Ray Mendez

What a mission. Two missiles, sanders, lots of flying metal, wheat paste, acrylic paint, polyurethane, a lot of elbow grease, and these two beauties are finally up in the gallery. Aleks and I kept getting asked "why don't you guys just get them sand blasted?" That would have been the easy route for sure but they would have lacked that hands on kinetic energy which resonates through these works of Art. We wanted the process to be in the spirit of the industrial revolution. In a time where everything is as easy as a click away we wanted to roll our up sleeves and get up close and personal. The collage consists of imagery from America's past. The good, the bad, and the ugly. History seen through the lenses of a Native American (Me) and a Russian immigrant(Aleks.) The image of the human form tied up in the American flag is a photograph of Aleks himself which he shot using a foot trigger. This haunting image was shot and developed when he an I were both in Art school at CSUFullerton and has never been shown until now. The massive American eagle woman resting on the oil derrick entitled "Progress" was originally created for the Brooklyn Biennial Submissional at the Cotton Candy Machine http://www.thecottoncandymachine.com/store/detail/progress/ and just had to go on one of the missiles. We would love to see these in a public space where we feel they would have the most impact. If anyone has an in or a contact please contact me via email. Bombs Away!

So I obtained a pair of decommissioned military missiles from friend and Artist Lexie Gehrke last summer. After days and days, and I mean days, of sanding these American beauties are just about ready for some mixed media magic. Transforming something that was meant to create destruction into magnificent works of Art has not only been a privilege but an incredible journey thus far. They have come along way from being under a wing into the hands of two Artists who are re-working the craftsmanship of hard working hands that were designed to make a much different statement. My long time friend Aleks Karavay and I will be displaying personal works in a mixed-media fashion on these unique canvases for an art opening at the R. Pela Contemporay on March 7th, 2014. We have created a Kickstarter to raise funds for some of the expenses. If you would like to contribute to our cause follow the link and make a contribution. Small or large there are some attractive incentives. Help us, help you, help us. Bombs Away!
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1975032744/american-bombshells

California is my home and it was great to be San Francisco. I was invited to create three small pieces for a group show at the Modern Eden Gallery and I was chomping at the bit to jump into my container and start stippling. Fifteen some odd days later I was shipping three new pieces and myself to San Francisco. We contacted some close friends and we were on our way. Sushi, sake, sushi, sake. A friend of mine came across a woman passed out in the lavatory and she helped her find her bearings. It was a safe landing. We got up early, discussed needing coffee, never got coffee, but found wine. We had "breakfast," then made our way back home. Songs were sung, languages were shared, and we eventually made our way to the show. Thank you Kim and Bradley for your professionalism and aestheticism. Where was Dozer?

I had come across Samantha Levin some time ago looking for representation and advice on making my work public. I found that her eye and aesthetic was similar to mine and her own work was not only impressive but inspiring. Jumping forward, she contacted me recently with an invitation to a show she is curating entitled "The Elusive Key" a group exhibition of works exploring the mystique behind Houdini's Mirror Escape. I am beyond excited to finally be working with her and the list of Artists on the roster are amazing to say the least. After hours of swimming in my container this is what I came up with. Jump to the link for more on Samantha Levin and "The Elusive Key" exhibit. http://samanthalevinfineart.com/2014/03/06/the-elusive-key/