Thursday, March 20
6:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Indianapolis Liberation Center
Door donation: $5
Jonathan Angulo was born in Izúcar De Matamoros, Mexico. He first immigrated to Los Angeles, later New York, and currently resides in Indianapolis, Indiana. Jonathan developed a love of the arts through graffiti artwork he saw on display on the sides of buildings and train cars. You can see his appreciation for the graffiti style throughout Jonathan’s colorful pieces. Jonathan is a graduate of Herron School of Art and Design.
A thread through the life of an artist may begin with a birthplace or a strong influence from a teacher or family member. Some artists nod to their compatriates in their compositions with Easter eggs or stylistic brush strokes. Angulo sees Death and Life as no more bookends than reflective pools that you can fall through one into the other seeing which is more fantastical and dreamlike than the other.
It is said in one Japanese tradition that gods tie a red string to the pinky fingers of people who are destined to be in each other’s lives. The two people connected by the thread are said to have an important story together, regardless of time, place, or circumstances. Wearing a black thread is believed to keep away negative energy and spirits that can harm you in some African diaspora religions. Jade has also been used in Mesoamerican cultures and is considered a living gemstone that connects the heavenly and earthly realms. Some believe that jade has nurturing and healing properties that can bring balance and well-being.
Jonathan Angulo has often found himself in the crossroads of identity when onlookers attempt to force this square peg in a round hole. But what artist wants to be fully perceived? Where is the mystery in being an open book? What comes to no surprise to those who have taken time to converse with Angulo, he is a man who creates bold images using vibrant colors that speak to his nuanced experience navigating how his indigenous Mexica heritage and immigrant story bounced him from Puebla to Jalisco to LAX, to NYC, and in the most recent decades firmly in middle America.
As the city cracks down on graffiti attributing the works in the Haughville neighborhood to a rise in gang activity, despite the lack of evidence, there are artists out there like Jonathan inspired by this style of art. How can the city have a positive over punitive relationship with those with creative energy and outlook? Find out the answer to this question and more at our Third Thursday open with Jonathan Angulo.