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2024

Patterns of Self-Reflection

ArtYard

A multidisciplinary artist known for his installations, performances, and sculptures, Villalobos's latest solo exhibition, "Diseñando Masculinidades (Designing Masculinities)," serves as a self-portrait that allows him to reflect while holding up a mirror to the viewer. The exhibition showcases large-scale sculptures conceived during Villalobos's residency at the Joan Mitchell Center and brought to life at ArtYard in Frenchtown, New Jersey. These latest works mark a new artistic direction for Villalobos, who integrates his conceptual ideas and versatile skill set to highlight his natural ability to convey narratives through material and design.

Villalobos, who grew up in a traditional, religious family on the U.S.–Mexico border in El Paso, makes work that reflects the complex intersection of patriarchal ideology, conservative Mexican customs, American values, and religious beliefs that criticize and condemn queerness. At the core of Villalobos's work is the performance of his identity. The materiality of his work represents his pride in his heritage but also serves as a reminder of the homophobia and prejudice that often go unquestioned.

Through self-reflection and a reexamination of his family history, José Villalobos has embarked on an evolving journey of self-discovery centered on his queer identity. His work draws on his life experiences and cultural heritage, deconstructing traditionally masculine objects from his upbringing along the El Paso–Ciudad Juárez border and transforming them into new forms that strip away their domineering, misogynistic, and chauvinistic undertones. His multimedia practice challenges culturally accepted stereotypes of toxic masculinity.

Family Artifacts & Cultural Reminders

The exhibition is deeply personal and reflective, honoring Villalobos's family, particularly his late father, José Villalobos Sr., and Enrique Olivas De La Cruz, his mother's longtime partner. Villalobos Sr., who died of cancer when Villalobos was a young boy, left an irreplaceable void in his life. In his 2023 performance piece, "Lo Que Falto," Villalobos describes the impact of this loss, stating, "Just at the age of ten, I lost my father, leaving it to the rest of the men in the family to raise his child. I was Frankenstein by different modes of machismo, always corrected, never embraced." Like much of Villalobos's work, his father's influence and absence are often present; his father, a musical performer and a mechanic, has found his way into Villalobos's practice. One example of this is the 2022 sculptural work "Queer Riders," which features three custom lowrider saddles complete with candy paint, chrome, and metal plaques. In a 2022 interview with the Phoenix Art Museum, Villalobos explained, "I was very interested in connecting to the aesthetic my father loved," referring to his father's passion for lowrider and car culture.

The connection between father and son extends beyond aesthetics; the elaborate Western-style shirts, boots, and cowboy hats his father wore as a Norteño musician performing along both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border has been another point of connection. Villalobos has transformed similar garments and accessories, including hats, belts, and boots, into an artistic language in which he is fluent. However, in this exhibition, he displays his father's unaltered shirt and suit, which his mother, Esther, gave him, the only two articles of his father’s clothing that he owns. The suit is the last one Villalobos saw his father perform in, during the summer of 1999, shortly before his death. This choice poetically symbolizes the origins of his practice and the unbreakable tie to his father and Norteño roots.

Villalobos's performances, including "Cultural Reminders: Tradition," in which he tattoos his feet with intricate cowboy boot toe medallions, and "Cultural Reminders: Lineage," in which he tattoos his back with a replica of the Western-style chain stitch embroidery from the yoke of his father's shirt, serve as cultural markers and permanent reminders of his father's legacy. These acts, documented on video, give form to complex emotions and unseen traumas, revealing his internal struggles and the cultural and personal heritage he draws upon in his work.

Enrique Olivas De La Cruz was another significant male figure in Villalobos’s life. His mother’s longtime partner, whom Villalobos regarded as a stepfather, was an El Paso bootmaker who entered Villalobos's life in his early teens. Born in Villa López, Chihuahua, Enrique began his career in Ciudad Juárez before moving to El Paso, where he worked at Lagarto Boots.

Early in his career, Enrique faced harsh criticism from his father, who didn't see bootmaking as an appropriate profession for a man, because he viewed needlecraft as women’s work. Despite this, Enrique's creativity and passion for embroidery, stitching, and sewing eventually earned his father's respect.

Following Enrique’s passing on May 15, 2024, while Villalobos was in residence at ArtYard, the artist was deeply affected. Unable to attend the funeral, Villalobos honored him by including his handcrafted custom boots, which De La Cruz personally designed, created, and wore in the exhibition. These boots were a gift to Villalobos shortly before Enrique’s passing. Their inclusion honors his craftsmanship and unwavering support of Villalobos and his artwork.

Villalobos’s father’s shirt and suit and Enrique’s boots hold immense sentimental value, offering tangible connections to their memories. Each piece recalls a chapter in his upbringing and reminds us of the impact and influence of family on Villalobos's life and work.

Boot Patterns & Stitching

As early as 2019, Villalobos began deconstructing leather boots, examining their design and stitching. His earlier text-based work, "Fragmentos y Suturas," hinted at future developments as he crafted ceramic wall sculptures with silhouettes inspired by intricate boot shaft designs. This exploration continued in 2020 with "Botas Para Llegar Al Cielo," where Villalobos cut out the boot shaft designs on a collection of ten cowboy boots, revealing wing-like patterns that made the boots appear to float off into the heavens.

These foundational pieces paved the way for Villalobos to create larger fiberglass sculptures based on similar boot shaft designs during his Fall/Winter 2022 Artist-in-Residence at the Joan Mitchell Center. This evolution led him to develop freestanding wooden sculptures by mirroring the patterns, creating a four-sided structure. While in residency at ArtYard, Villalobos brought these intricate designs to life using CNC cutting machinery.

The four monumental eight-foot sculptures were painted in two tones and saddle-stitched with colored rope. The colors reflect Villalobos's connection to his Mexican heritage. Hues such as Arroyo and Saddle Brown, Cactus Green, Aztec Brick, and Chili Pepper draw on the vibrant palette associated with the Southwest. They also highlight the physical characteristics of each sculpture, such as the sharp points of one and the floral forms and fiery quality of another. Villalobos associated each sculpture with one of his family members, naming them after each of his siblings, Josh, Eli, Angie, and Mari, with a smaller, bright red flower-like design, *Junior*, representing Villalobos himself.

Constructing freestanding structures out of wood symbolizes strength and tradition and connects to the landscapes and craftsmanship of the Southwest. The use of rope, prevalent in cowboy culture, suggests both the connections that unify us and the constraints that hold us back.

Reflective materials also play a role in Villalobos's work. Mirrored surfaces in the intricately cut wall-mounted boot shaft designs create visual complexity and serve as a metaphor for self-reflection. These mirrors invite viewers to confront their reflections and examine their perspectives on masculinity, the LGBTQ community, societal norms, and patriarchal pressures. In this way, his work asks us to consider how identity and heritage are shaped by societal expectations.

Introspection Beyond Reality

"José Villalobos: Diseñando Masculinidades" at ArtYard is a call for introspection. Villalobos's artwork encourages viewers to contemplate their identities and the societal influences that shape them. By sharing his personal experiences and vulnerabilities, Villalobos invites us to examine our own lives and attitudes, fostering a deeper understanding of ourselves and others.

The exhibition shows how Villalobos transforms personal experiences into stories that reach beyond his own experience. Through sculpture and performance, he invites viewers to consider their own identities and lineages. "José Villalobos: Diseñando Masculinidades" reminds us of the enduring influence of personal history on who we become.