ABYSS REYNALDO ALCOCER 9 November – 15 December 2019 Lismore Regional Gallery Graduate Award Winner (Southern Cross University) 2018
Images (l and r): HOSTILES 2019, acrylic paint on handmade paper, 93.5 x 64.5cm; BETRAYAL OF YOUR MORALS #2 2019, acrylic paint on handmade paper, 106.5 x 82.5cm
ABYSS
war, or by corporations who continue to engage in unethical business practices. Racism, already a difficult and intense issue, is presented as a never-
“Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the
ending set of duplicities. Political art and social
process he does not become a monster. And if you
commentary are inextricably tied to the dialogue of
gaze long enough into an abyss, the abyss will gaze
war. When asked about a theme for his work, Alcocer
back into you.”
thought “ultra-capitalism” was fitting.
Friedrich W. Nietzsche Alcocer is an artist and writer. He was born in Florida, Navigating our world can be complicated and
USA. He left America with his family when he was five
confronting, divisive historical events can provoke
years old. Since then he has lived in Singapore, the
questions about the seeming absence of reason
UK, Dubai, and finally settled in Australia, in 2009,
or common sense. Reynaldo Alcocer’s exhibition
becoming an Australian citizen in 2014. He is from a
ABYSS centres around conflict and reasoning, by
Japanese Mexican bi-racial background. His work is
what means our individual principles are governed,
deeply personal and draws on his own experiences.
and how duplicities appear whenever there is a disagreement based on ethical or moral standards. His examples include atrocities committed during
Alcocer’s beautifully handwritten and illustrated concept journal shows how his work emerges.
Although he is not sure if he is a writer who draws,
impact on many people. Maybe we do not see
paints and creates, or an artist who writes, it is clear
ourselves as the monster enslaving humankind, but
he has a busy and creative mind. He is not afraid to
we are part of the chain of responsibility. Consumers
be self-examining and speaks passionately about the
have a choice, and within seconds a Google search
issues he brings up in his art. He genuinely wants us
on these companies offer you pages of information
to view his work in a self-reflective and emotional
about their crimes. It will also offer their good deeds
way.
and community contributions.
The piece titled ABYSS is a dark sculptural figure
HOSTILES represents hero worship and the victimised,
representing a human-shaped void. Inspired by the
who both have atrocities to answer for. Alcocer has
popular Nietzsche quote this is also the title of the
taken inspiration from Jean-Michel Basquiat and
exhibition. This human form echoes what we have in
his 1980s Neo-Expressionism. His figures represent
common with those closest to us, but it also shares
Native American tribes, American Civil War Rebels
commonalities with those we consider to be without
and Yankees pointing weapons, each with a list of
morals, or who engage in violence and war without
massacres attributed to their causes. The symbols
ethics. The abyss is something we could easily fall
depicting Harmony (Native American), the Magnolia
into.
(the Confederacy) and the Medal of Honour (the Union) show that even with the atrocities committed
BETRAYER OF YOUR MORALS #1 depicts three
by all sides, heroism is rewarded. The largest symbol
fictional bigots who perform acts of racism. Each
is the skull, showing the real outcome of war.
figure represents their own version of hate. Maybe we do not think of ourselves as racist while others
The artist describes his most recent piece titled
see us on the edge of the abyss. By being who we
DISSONANCE as his most cautionary. A thought
are we automatically become framed by racism. A
bubble is full of fragmented information along with
colonial past can be viewed as problematic to the
a literal reflection of yourself, the viewer. The mirror
colonist and racist by virtue of our birth on colonised
offers the opportunity to become part of the art piece.
land. While Reynaldo loathes hate-crimes, he says
The funnel of notions pouring out of our own head is
“we cannot dismiss them as monstrous”. They are
ready to be examined.
perpetrated by fellow human beings who are shaped by the terrible circumstances that have created their
From a technical perspective, for all the works in
affliction.
this exhibition Alcocer has used a tissue paper base, because he liked the challenge of the delicate
In BETRAYER OF YOUR MORALS #2 Alcocer
material with its congruence to the vulnerability of
aimed for a satirical political cartoon using visual
life. Then paint primer and acrylic are textualised with
metaphors to illustrate consumerism and the world
a hair comb to add another gradation. The fragile
of ultra-capitalism. This is the average consumer
tissue paper becomes almost like parchment, and
contemplating the demons who are enslaving
the uneven surface it creates is “unruly”. The use
humankind in extreme labour to produce products
of black, white and grey were chosen to symbolise
we choose to purchase. Amazon, Nestle and Nike
good, evil and the mixture of the two, encouraging us
are recognisable companies that are known for
to investigate the “grey” areas of our thoughts.
underhanded practices while still being some of the richest and most popular corporations in the world.
Though all five pieces in ABYSS are diverse, Alcocer’s
Alcocer’s choice of these three companies is not
unified message is that no one is truly without sin.
random. He is a consumer of their products and
Heroes and villains exist throughout time, whether
wants his work to be cautionary and to encourage
during war or by passively participating in capitalism.
consideration that their practices have an adverse
Through his work he asks us to reflect what we see
as good and bad, and what we take for granted,
In November 2018, Alcocer was awarded the Lismore Regional
encouraging us to contemplate the battle within
Gallery Graduate Award, judged by Lismore Regional Gallery
ourselves. Alcocer wants his work to be confronting but also cathartic. The political narrative keeps his art interesting and his writing maintains his concept development, helping it to stay fresh and abundant.
staff. The prize is awarded to the graduating student with the most outstanding exhibited work judged in the Southern Cross University Graduate Exhibition (Visual Art and Design). The prize is intended to assist the journey from academic study into professional art practice. The outcome of the prize is an exhibition at Lismore Regional Gallery.
Essay by Sharon Fearnside, October 2019 Sharon Fearnside is the winner of the Inaugural Southern Cross University Art Writing Award 2019. This is a Lismore Regional Gallery award.
Images above: DISSONANCE 2019, acrylic paint and mirror on handmade paper, 115 x 67cm; front cover: BETRAYAL OF YOUR MORALS #1 2019, acrylic paint on handmade paper, 105 x 85.5cm inside page: ABYSS 2019, acrylic paint on handmade paper and wire, 203 x 109 x 16cm
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