TERRICK GUTIERREZ

This series on public housing projects is made through mixed media on paper. Each project building from their surroundings as a way of excavating and preserving the architecture, narratives, and communities that live there.

 

This body of work depicts collage imagery of isolated housing projects and aerial views of each structure. This series began with Jordan Downs, a project in South Central LA, where my mother once lived which is also not far from where I grew up. The series expands across the country and includes notorious projects such as Marcy Projects (Brooklyn, NY) and Robert Taylor Homes (Chicago, IL). i reclaim value through my material choice of paper towels and subject matter, both of which are often considered disposable. I began incorporating paper towels in my work years ago when I could barely afford art materials. Now, non-traditional materials are integral to my practice.

 

This series addresses issues of redlining, restrictive covenants, and displacement. In similar ways that redlining practices were used to segregate communities of color, I use red lines to divide the composition of each work. Red lines are also used to frame the outline of each aerial view revealing the geometric shapes of each development. I overlay vibrant colors and textures to speak to the beauty and complexity of communities and the people that live there. 

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