Olguin’s work explores how land and culture are impacted by technology.
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His recent recent work, looks at the relationship of human technologies on the plants we cultivate, and the ecosystems we impact.
When the indigenous lands of New Mexico were colonized by Spanish and American governments and created an ever increasing subdivision of land and paths of transportation contributing to cultural erasure of indigenous peoples. By exposing these lines, Olguin considers how these divisions occurred and their effects on identity and access to cultural resources.
Using traditional Pueblo art materials and processes his work contrasts these divisions by incorporating sculptural elements with electronic media. Olguin’s work place concepts of land, access, and cultural adaptation with a balance of earth materials and modern technology. Tracing paths of discontinuity through the history, culture and landscape of the American Southwest.
Biography
A New Mexico based artist working in ceramics, adobe, sound, video, and electronic media. His work draws from his mixed Indigenous American and Spanish (mestizo) heritage. He incorporates traditional hand processes of earthen materials with modern elements. “My practice focuses on spending as much time in the desert as in the computer lab”. He has exhibited internationally in the U.S., Spain and Germany. A Graduate with an MFA from The University of New Mexico Department of Fine Arts in Electronic Arts, and holds a B.A. in Media Art from The University of New Mexico. His goals are to make and teach new media art along with socially engaged art practices.
Olguin has completed many community engaged art practices throughout his career. He has worked in Schools throughout the Southwest engaging STEAM based learning with earthen and electronic media. In 2019-20 he received the Fulcrum Grant where he implemented a community based art project in the Barelas neighborhood with students from Working Classroom and exhibited at the Barelas Community Center. He has been an Adjunct Faculty at UNM, Assistant Professor at NMSU Carlsbad, and Professor of Digital Art at Florida Southwestern State College. He is currently Assistant Professor of Art at Northern New Mexico College.
Working in installation based art, Olguin has exhibited public based works in the Southwest. These works include Installations in Santa Fe for Currents New Media Festival, The Paseo in Taos for Acequia Aqui. He has installed works in Marfa Texas, The Hood Museum in New Hampshire, Art Space in New Haven Connecticut, and at the Albuquerque Art Museum in New Mexico.
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