Breaking the sky: Landeros exhibit brings attention to important individuals, practices reclamation of well-known artworks

“Rompiendo el Cielo,” currently on exhibit at the International Museum of Art & Science, focuses on the artist’s heroes and his relationship to them.

Multidisciplinary artist and activist Uriel Landeros, “Conquista,” created works uniting biculturalism, Capitalism, and Imperialism, woven together by his graffiti signature and gold and gold paint markings.

Dominating the exhibit and spanning the walls of the Clark Gallery are seven giant aerosol and acrylic portraits representing the artist’s bicultural living heroes. Landeros chose to portray individuals who had made important contributions to society and were still living, rather than distant heroes who live only in print.

”I admire them as well’, he said, “they (his heroes) are not taking any moments away from those who have already changed the trajectory of human life. That’s powerful to me.”

“José M. Hernández” portrays the Mexican American NASA astronaut and engineer who despite the odds was able to achieve greatness. After applying twelve times to the NASA astronaut program and being rejected 11 times, Hernández was finally selected and was a specialist on the STS-128 mission on board the Space Shuttle, Discovery.

The biopic, “A Million Miles Away,” was about his path from an immigrant farm worker to becoming an astronaut.

It was Hernandez’ story that gave rise to the title “Rompiendo el Cielo (Breaking the Sky),” symbolizing success through achieving improbable importance through persistence.

“Julie Morales” is portrayed amidst symbols of Western and indigenous medicine. A nurse and matriarch of the Morales family of Rio Grande City, she is one of very few women who have become licensed dealers for the cultivation, harvest, and trade of Peyote, important medicinally and ceremonially to indigenous people for thousands of years.

Not only does Landeros exalt achievers he admires in this exhibit, the concept of artistic merging with his art heroes is an important aspect of this exhibit and he employs it through Capitalistic means.

Landeros purchased works by known artists and embellished them with graffiti marks and his iconic signature “Conquista’,” dually indicating an Imperialist act of possession and artistic reclamation.

“Farah Diba Pahlavi” by Tony Shafrazi, Rupert Smith, and Uriel Landeros segues over from the hero’s group into the artist’s conquests. The silk screen portrait of the last Empress of Iran has been embellished with gold graffiti marks; “Conquista” is marked beneath the image.

Original works by Andy Warhol, Salvador Dali, Banksy, Julian Schnabel and others are also claimed by Landeros and brandish his artistic identity, “Conquista.”

“Brillo Box” by Andy Warhol and Uriel Landeros displays the graffiti signature plus the date of reclamation.

His “Conquista” signature harkens back to Landeros’ graffiti days when street artists claimed territory through coded signatures, often painting over previous images.

Although artists during the Dada Movement whimsically painted on reproductions of other artists works, Landeros goes further. He plays with his idea of reclamation in a sense of inclusion; at one point he becomes one with artists he admires through his markings, and even reverses the concept with his large hero portraits. Each one has been signed by “Conquista,” as well as by the portrayed subject who then symbolically reclaims Landeros’ painting.

Although we usually think of the signature as an identifier, it originated to verify ownership. In “Rompiendo el Cielo,” the signature is used for the latter purpose, and Landeros uses the concept to unite with the people whom he admires, and to unite them with him.

Nancy Moyer, Professor Emerita of Art, is an art critic for The Monitor. She may be reached at nmoyer@rgv.rr.com.

‘Rompiendo el Cielo’

by Uriel Landeros ‘Conquista’

WHERE: International Museum of Art & Science, 1900 W. Nolana Ave., McAllen

WHEN: Through Jan. 19, 2025

HOURS: 10 a.m. to

5 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday

CONTACT: (956) 681-2800 or theimasonline.org

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