The first-ever retrospective of the iconic Filipino American artist and educator Carlos Villa (1936-2013), this exhibition showcases vibrant, large-scale works that have not been seen in decades.
Villa forged a new kind of art-world inclusion in San Francisco in the 1970s and 1980s by referencing influences from African, Asian, and Oceanic traditions and including materials as diverse as hair, spit, sperm, bones, shells, feathers, mirrors, and silk. His radical art, activism, and teaching career impacted a generation of artists and redirected the trajectory of contemporary art movements.
My Roots, 1970–1971, by Carlos Villa (American, 1936–2013). Acrylic and feathers on canvas. H. 91.5 in. x W. 93.25 in. x D. 6 in. Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; purchase with funds from the Neysa McMein Purchase Award, 72.21.
Maturing, 1979–1980, by Carlos Villa (American, 1936–2013). Acrylic, feathers, mirror fragments, Rhoplex acrylic binder, and blood on unstretched canvas. H. 101 in. x W. 105 in. Crocker Art Museum, gift of the Artist, 1980.70. Photography courtesy of Saint Mary’s College Museum of Art.
Artist’s Feet, 1979–1980, by Carlos Villa (American, 1936–2013). Paper pulp and feathers. Two pieces; each approx. H. 5 in. x W. 15 in. x D. 7 in. Lent from a private collection. Photograph by Nora Roth.
