Open
Collection: Houston Airport System (HAS)
2013
Screenprint using graphite on paper
Location:
George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH)
2800 N Terminal Rd
Houston, TX 77032
About the Artwork:
Open (2013)
by David Medina
David Medina, born in San Antonio, earned his MFA from the University of Houston and has had his work featured at Hiram Butler Gallery, Blue Star Contemporary Art Museum, Dallas Center for Contemporary Art, and Museum of Fine Arts Houston. Here is one of two pieces of his screen-printing practice that measures over five feet long and five feet wide. It features a paisley-patterned bandana in grey scale that is opened in a diamond shape. Interestingly, the frame is displayed as a diamond rather than a square, causing a visual disruption for the viewer where the points of the bandana and the frame don’t match up. Screen printing is a process where ink is forced through a fine screen using a rubber-bladed squeegee to spread the ink evenly onto a surface, allowing ink to pass through the open spaces and print the design. The paisley pattern is of Iranian/Persian origin, characterized by the teardrop-shaped boteh or buta; it is theorized that the boteh/buta is a combination of flowers and cypress trees that may have origins in the Zoroastrian symbol of life. Cowboys and other laborers wore them because the bandanas protected against the sun and dust while being affordable and stylish.
Open (2013)
by David Medina
David Medina, born in San Antonio, earned his MFA from the University of Houston and has had his work featured at Hiram Butler Gallery, Blue Star Contemporary Art Museum, Dallas Center for Contemporary Art, and Museum of Fine Arts Houston. Here is one of two pieces of his screen-printing practice that measures over five feet long and five feet wide. It features a paisley-patterned bandana in grey scale that is opened in a diamond shape. Interestingly, the frame is displayed as a diamond rather than a square, causing a visual disruption for the viewer where the points of the bandana and the frame don’t match up. Screen printing is a process where ink is forced through a fine screen using a rubber-bladed squeegee to spread the ink evenly onto a surface, allowing ink to pass through the open spaces and print the design. The paisley pattern is of Iranian/Persian origin, characterized by the teardrop-shaped boteh or buta; it is theorized that the boteh/buta is a combination of flowers and cypress trees that may have origins in the Zoroastrian symbol of life. Cowboys and other laborers wore them because the bandanas protected against the sun and dust while being affordable and stylish.
Abierto (2013)
por David Medina
David Medina, nacido en San Antonio, obtuvo su MFA en la Universidad de Houston y sus obras han sido exhibidos en la Galería Hiram Butler, el Museo de Arte Contemporáneo Blue Star, el Centro de Arte Contemporáneo de Dallas, y el Museo de Bellas Artes de Houston. Aquí se presenta una de dos piezas de su práctica serigráfica, que mide más de 1,5 metros de largo y 1,5 metros de ancho. Presenta un pañuelo con estampado paisley en escala de grises, abierto en forma de diamante. Curiosamente, el marco se presenta como un diamante en lugar de un cuadrado, lo que causa una distracción visual al observar que las puntas del pañuelo y el marco no coinciden. La serigrafía es un proceso en el que la tinta se introduce a presión a través de una malla fina mediante una espátula de goma para distribuirla uniformemente sobre la superficie, permitiendo que la tinta circule por los espacios abiertos e imprima el diseño. El estampado paisley es de origen iraní/persa, caracterizado por el boteh o buta en forma de lágrima; se teoriza que el boteh/buta es una combinación de flores y cipreses que podría tener su origen en el símbolo zoroástrico de la vida. Los vaqueros y otros trabajadores los usaban porque protegían del sol y el polvo, además de ser asequibles y elegantes.