Mextasy: Seductive Hallucinations of Latina/o Mannequins
By William “Memo” Nericcio
Mextasy: Seductive Hallucinations of Latina/o Mannequins Prowling the American Unconscious is a traveling stereotype (freak show/art exhibit) based on the work of William “Memo” Nericcio and Guillermo Nericcio García.
It has previously toured appearing in the august hallways of the American Studies Program, Ann Arbor, Michigan (University of Michigan); San Ysidro, California (as Xicanoholic) at theFront, Casa Familiar; McAllen, Texas at South Texas College’s Pecan campus Art Gallery; Laredo, Texas at the the Laredo Center of the Arts; at the Kamakakūokalani Center for Hawaiian Studies, University of Hawai’i at Manoa (April 8, 2011); and, most recently, at the Fullerton Public Library!
Mextasy both reflects and expands upon Nericcio’s 2007 book with UT Press, Tex[t]-Mex: Seductive Hallucinations of the Mexican in America. In addition to racist artifacts from American mass culture (the bread and butter of Uncle Sam’s unconscious), the show also features works that are “xicanosmotic,” that is, works by Mexican-American artists where the delicious tattoo of the Mexican/US frontera is writ large as in the deliriously compelling semiotic tracings of Perry Vasquez, Izel Vargas, and Marisela Norte.
Mextasy was originally curated by South Texas College (STC) Art and Art History Professor Rachael Freyman Brown, with the assistance of Amanda Alejos (not to mention the meddling of the artist, Guillermo Nericcio García). The Centro Cultural de la Raza show as well as the San Antonio show are curated by Eduardo Santacruz Cortez, Eddie Vasquez, and Brenda Lozano and produced with the assistance of the Centro (especially Ozzie Monge y Brent Beltran).
The Centro Cultural de la Raza will have a FIESTA GALA entitled CHICANOHOLICS ANONYMOUS the night of Thursday, September 8, 2011! Expect a night of delirious surprises with Gustavo Arellano of ASK A MEXICAN fame hanging out and reading pieces from his new book (and fielding questions!????); Josh Kun, wizard music/cultural studies maven (the author of AUDIOTOPIA) reading from new works; Bill “Memo” Nericcio harassing the audience with passages from TEX{T}-Mex, and, closing the night, a live acoustic set by LOS HOLLYWOOD. More to come!
Memo Nericcio teaches at San Diego State University. Read his blog here or follow him on Twitter @eyegiene.
