Arturo Herrera: Constructed Collage
An exhibition devoted to the colorful, abstract works of Berlin-based artist Arturo Herrera will feature more than 20 artworks from Ruby City’s permanent collection, including several recent acquisitions on view for the first time. Celebrating Herrera’s expansive practice, the show will feature works ranging in date from 1998 to 2019, including collage, a cut felt wall-hanging, drawing, painting, printmaking, sculpture and an offsite wall painting. The exhibition, curated by Elyse Gonzales, director of Ruby City, is the first to examine the enduring importance of collage through the artist’s ongoing use and expansive conception of the medium. “Constructed Collage” demonstrates how this art form continues to shape all facets of the artist’s practice. Herrera became well known in the 1990s for his abstract collages that featured intricately cut forms taken from popular culture source material with portions of recognizable elements that only hinted at potential meanings. Over the years, he has continually mined this art form. Born in Caracas, Venezuela, and now based in Berlin, the internationally exhibited artist is familiar to San Antonio residents through the large site-specific painting Adam (2013), which is seen in the heart of downtown San Antonio adjacent to San Fernando Cathedral.