Steven Vasquez Lopez

The son of a seamstress and mechanic, my paintings continue a family history of labor through meticulous hand-made acrylic paintings on wooden panel. As a first-generation middle-class American growing up in the 80’s & 90’s under the influence of MTV, Nickelodeon, plastic toys, candy and bold fashion – my work infuses the California landscape and architecture with flat color, line and intricate patterns. These work broaden the scope of Latinos represented in art history and contemporary art, as well as re-examine the general associations with Chicano culture.

My current work incorporate hard-edge acrylic paintings on wooden panel with geometric shapes painted directly onto the gallery walls. While pushing the cannon of Chicano art beyond graffiti or large-scale murals, these works also question identity through the lens of such a richly traditional infrastructure.

Steven Vasquez Lopez, grew up in Riverside, CA and attending the University of California, Santa Barbara. He received his BA in Studio Art in 2000. In 2007, he graduated from the San Francisco Art Institute with a MFA in Painting. He currently lives and works in San Francisco, CA.

CV

Awards

2006                Murphy and Cadogan Fellowship in the Fine Arts, San Francisco Arts Commission

2000                Art Studio Honors Program, University of California, Santa Barbara

2000                Abrams Prize, University of California, Santa Barbara

2000, 1999    William Dole Memorial Scholarship, University of California, Santa Barbara

Selected Exhibitions

2011           Staff Infection, Diego Rivera Gallery San Francisco, CA

                     Idealization of Shapes, Roll Up Gallery, San Francisco, CA

2010           Unnatural Plans, Parklife Gallery, San Francisco, CA

                     Graphic Nature, Soap Gallery, San Francisco, CA

2009           Golden State of Mine, Riverside Art Museum, Riverside, CA

                    OverPattern, Propeller Modern, San Francisco, CA

                     Drips, Stripes and Hard-Edges, Augie's, Redlands, CA

                    home, Deborah Martin & Phyllis Stein Art, Los Angeles, CA

                    LA ArtWalk (May, August), the Annex LA, Los Angeles, CA

                    Threads, SOMArts Cultural Center, San Francisco, CA

2008           Aqua Art Miami, Eleanor Harwood Gallery, San Francisco, CA

                    New Art 08, Hotel Des Arts, San Francisco, CA

                   Big Deal 15, SOMArts Gallery, San Francisco, CA

                   New Visions 2008, ProArts Gallery, Oakland, CA

                   METApop, ARTworkSF, San Francisco, CA

2007           SFAI MFA Graduate Exhibition, Fort Mason, San Francisco, CA

2006           Continuing MFA Show, Diego Rivera Gallery, San Francisco Art Institute

                   Impressive Nature, 1015 Folsom, San Francisco, CA

                   Immediate Future: the 2006 Murphy & Cadogan Fellowships in the Arts,

                   San Francisco Arts Commission Gallery, San Francisco, CA

2000           U4, Perch Gallery, Santa Barbara, CA

                   Honor's Exhibition: Getting into Boxes, Bottles and Trouble, Gallery 1434, Santa Barbara, CA

                   Undergraduate show 2000, Gallery 1434, Santa Barbara, CA

1999            Undergraduate show 1999, Gallery 1434, Santa Barbara, CA

                     Drawing to a close, Gallery 1434, Santa Barbara, CA

                   Monkey Faction, Gallery 1434, Santa Barbara, CA