In an age of global media, the divisions and lines that are drawn between the rich and poor, the left and the right, liberals and conservatives, etc. are highly exaggerated, and profusely fabricated in order to divide and manipulate the masses. From a very young age people in our society are wrought with messages embedded in popular media that create ideological polarization between different ethnic and cultural groups. Since the advent of the radio, television, and printing press in the early 1900′s(and most recently computers and the internet), these media innovations have become common place in homes, businesses, and institutions around the world. All forms of popular media whose purpose is to entertain and inform have intricately concealed messages of division, greed, vanity and despair into movies, sitcoms, commercials, sports events, cop dramas, and so called news networks like Fox, BBC, and CNN just to name a few.

We are acutely aware of the effect that the media has on people’s ideological perspectives on topics such as race, class, and gender issues. It is estimated that children between the ages of 2-8 watch television an average of 30 plus hours per week. While in the past most of the the TV viewing was done under family supervision the need for a two income household has driven the middle class to work, forcing children to stay at home unsupervised. Our kids are increasingly being exposed to programming that is presenting them with a very narrow view of life drowned in violence, political ideologies, stereotypes, fake culture, and consumption. In this way future generations are being programed to consume all products, material and ideological. This is a problem that affects people from all geographic, social, and cultural spectrums. This installation’s purpose is to raise awareness to this epidemic of endemic information that is being delivered to children in all corners of the world by corporate sponsors & networks who scientifically understand the human psyche too well and use it to subvert it and co-opt it for it’s own means.

Inside the installation the visitors will find photos of common family events like weddings, birthdays, and religious ceremonies. The kids in these photos will be in multicultural settings like barmitzvah’s, communions, quinciañeras, in indian, caucasian, or african families and so on. I wish to convey to the viewer that this is a global issue and that we are a global family. It is our responsibility as adults in our society to guide children through an increasingly perilous world filled with highly efficient propaganda, mis information, and ignorance. We need to ask our selves “Where will the children play?”

PDF Application

Donde Jugaran Los Niños? image 01

Donde Jugaran Los Niños? image 02

Donde Jugaran Los Niños? image 03

Donde Jugaran Los Niños? image 04

Donde Jugaran Los Niños? image 05

Donde Jugaran Los Niños? image 06

Donde Jugaran Los Niños? image 07

Donde Jugaran Los Niños? Budget

Luna at the HAP reception on Friday Night!

This is an incredibly hot performance by Luna from the Fire and Isis Collective during the Humboldt Arts Project December exhibit. Its hard not to get mesmerized by this amazing dance and fire performance.

-Vico

Me at Burning Man 09

I just wanted to share a bit of what I am currently working on.

I am currently the owner operator of Vico Designs a small design & marketing business in Arcata Ca. I have worked with various small business owners in the area to help them define their business identity through creative logo design, web design, print, & marketing.

My clients vary in industry they range from Coffee, Wine, to Metal Fabrication, Interior Design, Restaurant/Nigh Club, & Individual Artists. I am constantly looking a new challenge, always eager to learn and adapt to something new.

Along with trying to manage my small business I am still pursuing my lifetime goal which is to be a full time practicing artist. I am a member of the Accident Gallery in Eureka, CA (also a client) and show my new work there monthly. I also Curate monthly exhibits for Muddy’s Hot Cup in Arcata Ca and have a strong connection with the University’s Art Dept.

Since graduating from Humboldt a few years ago I have come to see my self as a multimedia artist as opposed to when I was a student and felt polarized by a particular medium. My current projects vary from Drawings, and Illustrations, to Sculpture, Painting and Animations.

Although varying in Media most of those projects are interrelated parts of 3 different bodies of work: Donde Jugaran Los Ninos? (Where Will The Children Play?) , Buscando Me (In Search of Me) , & Social Deceit.

I hope to one day exhibit those shows in major galleries and museums around the world. I still have much work to do but its only a matter of time.

My plan is to build up my small business now and then go back to school for my Masters. Hopefully by then I can focus on school and have a steady income from my established business.

After that my goal would be to become a full time artist free from the need to be dependent of an Art Industry that is very loaded with politics…

I try to connect with the community in Humboldt by sharing my art and my passion with them. Recently I have been documenting many of the events on the Arcata Plaza: The Farmers Market, Concerts on the Plaza, Oyster Fest, Kinetic Race, North Country Fair, and others. I have created a Community page where people can go and experience those events through my eyes. I have galleries with hundreds of pictures per event along with full blown videos of Music performers, Samba performers, and others. I have gotten great feed back on it and I would like to ask everyone to check it out, I think its a great representation of what is happening in Arcata. I’m sure many of you miss this magical little town.

Well I have been ranting for a while but it has definitely been nice to share that with you.

Please take a look at my site to check out my Fine Art and my Commercial Art. Also don’t miss the Community Page and check back often as i have much more footage I just haven’t had the time to put it up yet.

Thanks!

-Vico

Wish me luck!

-Vico