SANER (Edgar Flores) is based in Mexico City and despite a huge fan base here in Los Angeles, has had only a few public art pieces and shows here. That all changes in a major way this weekend, as he debuts a mural, an installation, and a solo show at the Brand Library in Glendale. Please enjoy a couple of images that will be in the show, and come out to Glendale on Saturday night. There will be not only Saner's show, but also a massive group show complete with murals and installations called Nexus.
From the Gallery...
In a Dream (En un Sueño)
Edgar Flores (SANER) is based in Mexico City and creates vibrant works that combine contemporary images with references to Mexican, Mayan, and Aztec iconography and folklore. Combining the new with the ancient, SANER explores his cultural heritage visually as a way to reinterpret and navigate the conflicts and politics of the modern world. Questioning the violence and injustice that permeate widely accepted societal mores, SANER's surreal works are humorous, dark, beautiful and at times haunting. A recurring theme throughout the artist's paintings, drawings, and murals are the use of Nahuale animal masks, a demonic trickster figure in Mexican mythology, human by day and animal by night. Each assumed identity hides behind that of its counterpart - an ancient metaphor for duplicity that resonates still.
SANER's characters are sightless, depicted without eyes and concealed behind masks, a symbolic reminder of the persistence of human blindness. The unification of the human and animal worlds, albeit intentionally imperfect and at times jarring in the works, questions the imbalance of our own. SANER exposes our estrangement from nature and the excesses of urban expansion and development by invoking the mysticism of this ancient past. Inspired by the powerful legacy of Mexican political muralists, SANER began his work as a graffiti artist in the late 90s. He went on to study graphic design, and in 2004 received a degree from the Universidad Autónoma de México. SANER continues to create public murals all over the world and has exhibited in Barcelona, Berlin, Denver, London, Los Angeles, New York, and Mexico City.
