Ugly Truth by Chalk Zaldivar

The facade of politeness for the sake of false harmony is put under scrutiny in Chalk Zaldivar's latest series UGLY TRUTH. He presents a satirical take on the forbidden territories of insult and anger in a non-confrontational society such as ours. Sensitivity to negative comments is a common characteristic for humans. The use of niceties and to walk around eggshells to spare another's feeling has become an expectation, if not a requirement.

Criticizing the lack of straightforwardness and also to vent some of his personal frustrations and irritations, he employs exaggerated imagery. For instance, being fat or having overly active sweat glands turn into points of focus that the artist blows up in infinite proportions with the use of his signature style. To receive the full effect of his premise, he pairs each of the pieces equally witty and audacious titles. Taking the idea from stand-up comedians Louis CK, Bill Burr and Ricky Gervais, he exhibits a refreshingly candid and direct approach in expressing his grievances.

He includes a self-portrait to the series, in admittance of his participation in the ridiculousness of this truthfully egoistical habit. Highlighting his own flaws and insecurities, the artist doesn’t spare himself from being part of his own joke.

Zaldivar remains brave and unapologetic in the crassness and the deliberate lack of depth. In protest of people who are oblivious to their own shallowness, he presents the premise that perhaps it is okay to be so. And that it is good, if not even healthy, to release and admit the tension rather than internalize for the sake of political correctness.
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Don't Forget To Breathe - Jel Suarez & Chalk Zaldivar

October 1 to 23, 2014

Vinyl on Vinyl Gallery

In Akira Kurosawa’s Dreams, the master filmmaker reached inward to create a film that was built upon the dreams that he had over the years. The film was Kurosawa’s way of exploring different stages of his life, creating an artistic portrayal that favored visual splendor than dialogue. Dreams long been a major source of inspiration for different forms of art and in Don’t Forget to Breathe, artists Jel Suarez and Chalk Zaldivar recorded their dreams for a month and translated them through a series of collages that aim to show the humor, profound tragedy, and strangeness of their hidden fears and desires.

Suarez’s work aims to organize her thoughts through her collages in creating a visual narrative, while Zaldivar’s work ridicules the notion of his dreams. The medium that they use creates a stark separation between the two: Zaldivar utilizes odd shapes and colors cut from glossy modern magazines, while Suarez creates scenes from intricately cut objects and characters from old magazines and forgotten textbooks. Suarez revels in black and white subjects and imagery while Zaldivar shows zest with his colorful cut-outs.

Don’t Forget to Breathe is capped off with a dreamy, animated video installation that combines the two artists’ cut-outs to create a singular vision. The video is a colossal piece that shows the conflicts, the zigs, and the zags found inside the two minds that form this show.

Click the links below for photos of the artworks:

Jel Suarez

Chalk Zaldivar

See You Later, Hello Banda It's Jack Russell Terror!, Don't Forget To Breathe

Thank you to everyone who dropped by last October 1 despite the pouring rain. You can still drop by the gallery (Tuesdays to Saturdays 12 nn to 7 pm) and view the exhibit until October 25. See you later! :)