Luis De La Torre and Gregorio Mejia: Paths and Process

Luis De La Torre and Gregorio Mejia: Paths and Process

Art and Design Department, co-sponsored by CSU Latino Resource Center

September 15, 2010-November 5, 2010

President’s Gallery

Chicago State University

95th and Martin Luther King Drive

Cook Administration Building

Saturday October,16, 2010, 1:00pm
free parking in the Racine Street parking lot    

Luis De La Torre and Gregorio Mejia, Chicago-based artists, create paintings and works on paper, adjusting materials, methods and styles to satisfy the goals for each body of work they produce. Professionally trained, they are influenced by a range of 20th Century artists. De La Torre’s and Mejia's artistic journey from studio to the President’s Gallery is part of Chicago Artists Month and celebrates Latino/Hispanic Heritage Month.

The traditional studio is the center of life for these artists who moved to Chicago when they were very young. The exhibition was planned in the studio setting at 1200 West 35th Street where one can gaze out the third floor window at the Chicago River. The artists discussed their separate studios: disadvantages including hot summers, not enough space, not enough order, bad light and loneliness, and advantages such as the ability to create large works, being alone, and seeing the city that inspires them, supports them and allows them to be the artists they have become. The connections to other artists, materials and spaces are very helpful to their art practice. One artist has a separate studio, one works at home. The artists agree that both situations present pros and cons that the artists will discuss. Photos of their studios will be available in CSU’s gallery books; the artists invite art students, artists and others to a talk about studio practice as part of the reception talk on September 15 and at De La Torre’s studio on October.