And Another One is an installation of sculptures crafted from clay, plaster, and carved foam. Motivated by science, popular culture, and current events, Miguel Rodriguez’s work expresses big thoughts and feelings through dark humor, vibrant color, and scale.
Artist Statement
The sculptural elements I saw on the Strip in 2001 convinced me to move to Las Vegas. Especially the OG Treasure Island and Siegfried and Roy portrait busts in front of the Mirage. The scale, audacity and unapologetic goofiness spoke to my soul. Much of that work is gone now but it still influences my vision.
I am motivated by a lifelong fascination with science, current events, and pop culture. This work is largely autobiographical, emerging from the shadows of my lived experience. Some of these sculptures serve as visual metaphors for psychological states of being. Dark and difficult emotions filtered through a lens of humor and rich color, creating just the right flavor of dissonance to challenge stereotypical tropes and simplistic answers.
Working in multiples connects me to various aspects of my creative practice. There is beauty in the repeated image, much like a word spoken over and over melts into an abstract sound. I find great satisfaction in the hard work of casting sculptures from a mold, with each effort yielding yet another 3D canvas to paint or glaze upon, another opportunity to engage a playful spirit of exploration through iteration, another chance to screw it all up and start over again.
Miguel Rodriguez is a Las Vegas artist and educator originally from Kansas. He earned a BFA in ceramic sculpture from the Kansas City Art Institute and an MFA from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. While working as a sculptor for a casino signage company, he mastered sculpting foam and casting large rubber molds, key skills for creating his monumental works. Rodriguez has completed multiple sculpture and mural commissions throughout Las Vegas and currently serves as a visiting assistant professor of Ceramics at UNLV.
On exhibit at the Sahara West library from June 10 through August 24, 2024
Reception Thursday, June 13, 2024 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
This program/project was supported, in part, by the Nevada Arts Council, a state agency, which receives support from the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency, and the state of Nevada.
Monday: 10:00AM – 8:00PM
Tuesday: 10:00AM – 8:00PM
Wednesday: 10:00AM – 8:00PM
Thursday: 10:00AM – 8:00PM
Friday: 10:00AM – 6:00PM
Saturday: 10:00AM – 6:00PM
Sunday: 10:00AM – 6:00PM
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