VISUAL ARTS + MUSEUMS

Wade Wilson Art Houston is pleased to announce a joint exhibition featuring new and recent works by Justin Garcia and Winston Lee Mascarenhas. Both artist explore the translucent and the illuminated along with depths of color thorough various techniques.

Wade Wilson Art Houston and this new exhibition are in collaboration with ArtHouston 2012, a celebration of new and established artists shown in galleries across the city.

Justin Garcia – Biography:
 
A native Houstonian, Justin Garcia has been involved in the art world for most of his life. As a very young child, Justin discovered how much he loved to create.  Life circumstances caused him to become extremely independent early on so he funneled his creativity into business where he began painting murals for clients at the age of twelve.  Justin grew up knowing that in order to get ahead in life, he had to be able to rely on himself.  Art became that reliable venue through which he could harness his creativity.  Throughout his early years, Justin embarked on many entrepreneurial endeavors that allowed him the resources to pursue his passion for art while surviving life’s hurdles.

With tremendous ambition and talent, Garcia has studied and performed many techniques to develop a signature style that gained the attention and appreciation of art collectors, media and a variety of individuals. His work incorporates mixed media of oils, acrylics and compound texture on canvas. 

While attending the Bauer Business School at the University of Houston, Garcia realized his true talents and natural entrepreneurial skills. Garcia began to develop his artistic style on canvas and fine-tune his business skills by painting out of a small storage warehouse in the Katy area for several years.  Deciding to devote his time and energy to his passion, he left his full-time job and leased a studio space in Hardy Street Studios, located in the heart of downtown Houston’s art district.

The move offered him the ability to produce work from the perspective of an entrepreneur and sparked additional growth in his personal development and career, giving him the opportunity to pursue his dream as a business man and professional artist. Shortly after, he and four other emerging artists were chosen by John Palmer to participate in a collaborative project exploring ‘Escapism.’ - Receiving widespread praise and recognition, his collaborative piece became a stepping stone in his professional progress as an artist.
 
Seeing his art as a vehicle to help the community, Garcia often donates to local charities such as the Arthritis Foundation, Artists for Haiti, San Jose Clinic, Spacetaker, The Leukemia Lymphoma Society and The Houston Ballet. In July, 2009, Garcia was asked to create an art program for the National Juvenile Arthritis Conference where he worked with more than 75 teenagers in “Art with Justin.” Over a two day period, Garcia explored the importance of art in his life with children suffering from juvenile arthritis.

Explaining his use of abstract expressionism to communicate his feelings in a healthy and creative manner, he also taught the children about color, lines and shapes. Challenged to create an abstract work of their own, the children’s work was pieced together to create a seven-piece framed collage which he donated to Texas Children’s Hospital, where they are displayed in the Pediatric Rheumatology Department . Most recently, he has worked with New Spring Center Organization where he donated his time to teach middle and high school students’ basic business principals on how to take their interest in art into a professional career.

Emotions that cannot be expressed in words are the subject of Garcia’s art. Believing that the creativity of the mind is endless, he hopes that his art will inspire individuals to seek more out of life.  Garcia also recognizes art’s true potential as therapy. “I ask one word about everything, ‘why?.’” says Garcia. Garcia believes that exploring the curiosity that lies within each of us is the only way to really understand ourselves and the world we live in. He sees his art as the doorway to discovering the answers that lie behind our innate curiosity. Believing in karma and destiny, Garcia says that “everything happens for a reason.” And he is certain that, thus far, everything he has learned and experienced has brought him to this point in his career. More important than success, Garcia hopes his legacy will revolve the inspiration he aims to provide to others. 

Many of his works have been installed in businesses such as Chevron, Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas and St. Lukes Hospital - The Vintage in Houston, Westin Hotel – Memorial City in Houston, and the Mayor’s Conference Room at Houston City Hall. Garcia has been featured on Fox 26 News, Telemundo, and Latismo also in 002, Gloss, Absolutely in the Loop, Paper City Magazine, Downtown Magazine, HGTV’s Design Happens, Texas Home & Living and Houston Design Resources.  Garcia was also featured in the December, 2010 Houston Modern Luxury Magazine, “Look Who’s Talking”.  

Winston Lee Mascarenhas statement:

The experience of viewing the paintings from my recent series, Variations-Vibrations, should be about pleasure as the viewer delves deeper into the intense colors, losing themselves in the lines that jar the surfaces of these works. The lines are predictable and steady with rips disturbing the surface, pushing you under at intervals, marking a staccato rhythm with tears and traces of the action.

The singularity of focus and process merges both strict grids and chaotic freedom. Despite the disparate nature of these components, the two sides are held in balance: the wax is worked precisely and expressively with color providing the emotional key both on the surface and underneath it.

I methodically build up then incise and gouge the surface to create an overall pattern that reveals the subtle and lush underpainting. The paintings hum and vibrate, rich in tonality, showing subtle shifts of color interrupted by regular indentations, like catching a breath while sustaining a note.

--WLM, 2012

Opening Reception
Thursday, July 12, 2012
6-8pm
Wade Wilson Art Houston 4411 Montrose
Houston, TX 77006

Exhibition remains on view through August 18, 2012.

Pictured above:

Justin Garcia
Payne's Grey
Oil and acrylic with compound texture on canvas
2012
70 x 55 inches

Pictured below:

Winston Lee Mascarenhas
Firebird
Painting-Encaustic on 4 panels
2012
42 x 36 inches