Juan Capistrán
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Juan Capistrán, Still I Rise Above, 2013Archival pigment print. 27 x 30 in. (69 x 76 cm). Courtesy Curro & Poncho, Guadalajara, Mexico. -
Juan Capistrán, Yesterday has already vanished among the shadows of the past; tomorrow has yet emerged from the future. (Shame), 2012Archival pigment print. 48 x 32 in. (121.92 x 81.28 cm). Courtesy Thomas Solomon Gallery, Los Angeles. -
Juan Capistrán, I have conquered happiness and retained it in death, 2013Fabric and steel. Dimensions variable. Courtesy Curro & Poncho, Guadalajara, Mexico. -
Juan Capistrán, Yesterday has already vanished among the shadows of the past; tomorrow has yet emerged from the future. (Hope turned to Disappointment), 2012Archival pigment print. 42 x 38 in. (106.68 x 96.52 cm). Courtesy Thomas Solomon Gallery, Los Angeles. -
Juan Capistrán, Still I Rise Above, 2013Archival pigment print. 27 x 30 in. (69 x 76 cm). Courtesy Curro & Poncho, Guadalajara, Mexico.
About the Artist
Born 1976 in Guadalajara, Mexico
Juan Capistrán works in sculpture, painting, video, photography, drawing, installation, performance, and sound—whichever method best serves the specific project. A Mexican-born artist who grew up in a predominantly African American neighborhood in Los Angeles, Capistrán deftly maneuvers between subjects ranging from the civil rights movement to punk music to the art of the 1960s, blending practices, references, and themes into subversive critiques of American culture.
Capistrán’s work borrows equally from renowned artists such as Carl Andre, as well as hip-hop, disco, and gang culture, culminating in pieces and performances that often dip into the cool, distant nature of minimalism while referencing the politics inherent in the colored body. Frequently titled with references to pop culture, the work offers a broad entry point that shows Capistrán’s personal history with stark political expression.