OVER MY HEAD - WOODCUTS BY BEN MUÑOZ
Flatbed is pleased to be able to present the woodcuts of Ben Muñoz. The exhibition titled, Over My Head, will be held at the Flatbed Center For Contemporary Printmaking from June 26 to July 29. During this extended time of Social Distancing due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Flatbed will make this important exhibition assessable by either appointment or virtual tour. The artist is also inviting the public to come in person to see the work with him by appointment on June 24 and 25. Flatbed and Muñoz are eager to for the artist and individuals to talk about the content of his work one on one.
Showing in the exhibition for the first time is the complete series titled Familia, it consists of four woodcuts each sized at 36x62. The final two prints of the series Heed and Epilogue are chiaroscuro woodcuts recently published by Flatbed Press, the publishing arm of the Flatbed Center For Contemporary Printmaking.
This body of work explores cultural identity and how that might appear as a family assimilates into the United States. Muñoz states: “Familia documents my personal experience of how our culture and identity has changed throughout this process and explores what we lose and gain along the way. As the work documents this it also pays homage and honor to my past relatives who laid the foundation for our family. Generations of people who endured and sacrificed so that we could have opportunities that they didn't.”
An invitation from Ben Muñoz and Flatbed:
“Over My Head is an exhibition that speaks about heritage and family culture in a way that is relatable across racial and economic lines. It's work that is meant for us as people. I created these woodcuts from a personal narrative but these experiences and thought processes are not unique to me. During this pandemic large openings can pose a risk to public health. This presents us with the opportunity to maximize our individual time, which is what I'd like to do here. I want to invite you to have a socially distant yet intimate conversation. I will be in Austin, Texas for one week. Flatbed and I will arrange a time for us to sit down one on one conversations in the Flatbed Gallery. We will make this as safe and as comfortable a visit as possible. Anyone interested in the art exhibition can view it with me in person and can ask as much or as little about the work as they would like. We can speak about the themes of the work and how it relates to us as people. I hope to speak to you.”
A note to the reader: The two days of conversations with the artists were completely booked and Ben was able to visit with over 24 individuals. We were thrilled to be able to host this unique opportunity for the public to interact with Ben.
