Herrera, A: YOU GO 1ST

Cartoons meets Surrealism by way of Abstract Expressionism in Arturo Herrera's multi-layered body of work, an oeuvre which progresses through specific stages of abstraction. "You Go First is devoted to the primary and most essential stage of Herrera's production: collage making. In his subversive paper and gouache combinations, Herrera abstracts barely recognizable childhood imagery into sly, formal adventures in vanguard two-dimensionality. Memories of once-familiar illustrations are triggered; recalling them fills in the blanks created by Herrera's cutting and pasting. Other phases of his art-making process push further and further from the original found imagery, such as "Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, to create completely abstract-seeming wall works and MDF sculptures. "You Go First features nearly 100 collages produced during 2002, sequenced and selected by the artist himself.