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September 15-December 17, 2016

Rubin Gallery

Luis Safa (born Chihuahua, Mexico, resides Mexico City, Mexico) is an illustrator, artist and muralist. He is known for his prolific and sometimes dark illustrations and animations that touch on themes of northern Mexican history and politics from the Revolution to the underbelly of the drug wars.

This exhibition curated by the Rubin Center features Safa’s latest body of work in which he departs from his tight graphic style to create loose, frantic and far-reaching drawings and multi-media installations. His work reminiscent of Mike Kelley and Raymond Pettibon both in style and substance, but continues to be rooted in the complex and often violent social and political landscape of Mexico. The works will be accompanied by sound and media installations featuring the work of Mexico City-based artist Javier Sanchez, and El Paso’s own Jim Ward, a nationally recognized and critically acclaimed artist. Ward is self-taught guitarist and pianist, he is the lead singer and rhythm guitarist for the band Sparta; he is also a co-founder of the seminal post-hardcore band At the Drive-In, which he formed in 1993 when he was 17 years old. This is his first sound-based art installation.