A massive, eye-catching three-ton statue of an inclined head by Michoacan artist Javier Marin was unveiled late last week outside the entrance to the Museo de los Artes (MUSA) on Avenida Juarez.
Motorists, pedestrians and participants in the Sunday Via RecreActiva activity will all get a close-up view of “Cabeza Vainilla,” one of a series of three large statues that Marin created eight years ago specifically for outdoor viewing.
Like Marin, the piece has traveled extensively. Before Guadalajara. it has wound its way around public spaces in Brussels, Luxembourg, Milan, Rome, the United States, Vancouver and Mexico City.
Marin has developed a solid career as a visual artist for the last 30 years, holding over 90 solo exhibitions and more than 200 collective shows around the world. His work can be found in numerous public collections, including the Museum of Modern Art in Mexico City, the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, the Santa Barbara Museum of Art, the Blake-Purnell Collection, the Malba-Fundación Constantini Buenos Aires (Argentina), amongst others.
Art critics say Marin’s much-admired public artworks reveal both a physical and human context, offering alternative interpretations. sculpture at MUSA.
Marin studied at the San Carlos Academy (National Autonomous University of Mexico/UNAM) in Mexico City ,where he now lives and works. His earliest works are nearly all paintings and graphic art. Moving on to sculptural work, he exclusively used clay but later developed pieces in bronze. More recently, he has gone beyond traditional methods, experimenting and innovating with polyester resin combined with organic materials, such as amaranto seeds, tobacco, soil or dried meat fibers.
The MUSA display is sponsored by the Black Coffee Gallery and the University of Guadalajara (UdG) and will be on public view for six months.
MUSA is located at Avenida Juarez 975 in the old UdG rectory, across from the university’s administrative building. Hours are 10 a.m to 6 p.m., Tuesday to Sunday.