Bio

John Mata is an artist based in San Antonio, Texas. Currently Mata is attending the University of Texas at San Antonio and is majoring in Art with a minor in Anthropology. The focus of Mata's current work is directed at the utilization of art as a means to conveying a message through personalized projection devices constructed with the concern for mobility. Mata has shown nationally and internationally and in January '09 recently held an exhibition with Sala Diaz Gallery in San Antonio, Tx. The purpose of this blog is to introduce another component to Mata's work. One which will provide information for the readers and introspectively provide feedback for the artist as well.

"South Town Dreaming Itself" Beto Gonzales

So I just thought to add FutureWorkerGirl's (aka: Leslie Raymond) blog of the site piece PBL (Potter-Belmar Labs) contributed to my show at Sala Diaz at the start of 2009 entitled "Sala Diaz is Open"... You can read all about it here as she wraps it up with a quote from artist Beto Gonzales.( I just had to borrow it for the title of this entry). Nice job PBL/FWG/SPOKENINE !!!

Second Verse Same As The First

After spending three loads of laundry time ( approximately 220 minutes) in second life I came to a conclusion, the virtual world is a very quiet place. Inside Second Life virtual sounds surrounded my flights and teleportations. The ambience developed through sounds tended to sooth and put me in a state of relaxation. This feeling of relaxation kept me wandering about the feelings of anxiety I have in my everyday life and asking a couple of social questions. Are we living in a constant state of anxiety and are the sounds that we produce in the "First Life" one of the main contributors to such a state? So I am proposing for my next project to create an environment in first life that utilizes sounds for animated spaces. A few speakers and some amplifiers should suffice.
John Mata

Documentation of room created for Future Utopia at Luminaria in San Antonio

The image above and following were taken during the process of de-installing the piece for Luminaria titled "Room made of mostly cardboard and masking tape, containing various media relating to the idea of New Media and Future Utopia". Chronologically I am presenting them from the last image captured to the first, including the loading of materials onto a pushcart and the stack of cardboard left for clean-up and recycling.
The first image (above) is of the area that I was provided with for the construction of the room. I decided to utilize the niche allowed by the convention center's design to serve as a structural support for the walls and rooftop of the room. This space was especially challenging in that I had to provide proper access to the fire hose without losing space within the cardboard room.
On a personal level, how materials are transported to a site are key to the process of understanding how a space will be organized and also allows me to be aware of scale and spacial limitations. It is for this reason that I have provided the following image of the cart I used for this piece and the materials and media that were placed within the cardboard room. I would like to note that the moving of materials without allowing them to be destroyed or damaged is considered as a "successful transfer" for me.
The next image is of the cardboard and wood that were used to provide roof and wall support.I thought the use of these materials were an efficient way to devise a structure and express the concept of "the obsolescence of art as a vehicle for creative expression and self exploration" I referred to in my proposal for the exhibition. Also, the cardboard seemed to be a much more inviting and "fun" material, given it's availability. Also, it poses as less of a liability if damaged or destroyed.
I will conclude with two images, the first is of two exterior shots taken during de-installation. The second image was taken during the opening of the exhibition. In this image a viewer becomes engaged with the room and the media devices within the space.

Project proposal for Luminaria

For the project at Luminaria (San Antonio, Tx), I have chosen to provide a "Safe house" from which information concerning "New Media" can be received and conveyed by the participants/audience of the event. The shelter or safe house will hold an assortment of different media such as dvd's and monitor, books, and an audio listening station that will allow those who enter it's area to listen, watch, or read materials that are related to "New Media". A live performance will also be scheduled, and will take place at a given hour during the events six hour duration. The shelter and all of the materials to be experienced within it's area will be transported by use of bicycle and bike trailer. Portable power converters will provide power for the electronic utilities and will be charged prior to the time of exhibition. My intention is to create an informative work of art that encourages interaction between the constructed space, the media within and the audience/participants. Currently I am working on an illustration to visually accompany the project proposal.

This piece is part of a group exhibition which explores the idea of Future Utopia. My inquiry into the concept, Future Utopia, is concerned with the obsolescence of art as a vehicle for creative expression and self exploration.

John Mata

Berlin-based artist Annet​te Krebs

On Frida​y,​​ Febru​ary 20, Berli​n-​​based​ artis​t Annet​te Krebs​ will be givin​g a perfo​rmanc​e at Sala Diaz as part of John Mata’​s exhib​it,​​ Sala Diaz is Open.​​ The perfo​rmanc​e start​s at 9:30 pm, and is free & open to the publi​c.​​
Annet​te Krebs​ has worke​d exten​sivel​y in the cross​over area betwe​en impro​visat​ion and compo​sitio​n,​​ explo​ring the possi​bilit​ies of the prepa​red guita​r with regar​d to sound​,​​ struc​ture,​​ noise​,​​ the mixin​g of mater​ials,​​ and space​.​​ Vario​us prepa​ratio​n metho​ds are used to produ​ce noise​s and sound​s,​​ which​ are then enlar​ged throu​gh the use of somet​imes high level​s of ampli​ficat​ion.​​ The sound​ of the ampli​ficat​ion and mixin​g board​s,​​ addit​ional​ tapes​,​​ radio​s and objec​ts are used as music​al mater​ial.​​

Krebs​ was a membe​r of the groun​dbrea​king post-​​minim​alist​ creat​ive ensem​ble Phosp​hor,​​ and has colla​borat​ed with Keith​ Rowe,​​ Sachi​ko M, Kaffe​ Matth​ews,​​ Robin​ Haywa​rd,​​ Toshi​maru Nakam​ura,​​ Taku Sugim​oto,​​ and many other​s.​​

“Anne​tte Krebs​ has prope​lled herse​lf into the front​ rank of guita​r impro​viser​s.​​” — Clive​ Bell,​​ The Wire

“When​ the guita​r,​​ tape,​​ acous​tics melt into each other​ it’s a joyou​s thing​.​​” — Stylu​s Magaz​ine revie​w of Annet​te Krebs​’ “Guit​ar Solo”​

[​​Suppo​rted by the Berli​n Senat​e Cultu​ral Affai​rs Depar​tment​]​

Randy Wallace Scheduled to Perform at Sala Diaz as a part of current exhibition.

Existence is Fertile: Losing Millennium
A presentation by Randy Wallace
Location: Sala Diaz, 517 Stieren, San Antonio, TX
Date: First Friday, February 6
Time: 7PM-11PM
Duration: one night only
Context: Within, among and integrated into John Mata’s current installation “Your Black
Majesty: My Facade Says A lot About Who I'm Not".
Mr. Mata has invited Randy Wallace to present a project-in-tandem within the confines of
his multi-media exhibition and joint venture with 180 Grams proprieter, Jesse Garcia.
”Wallace’s “Losing Millennium” project will employ a variety of the inferior arts --
object in situ, performance and audiovisual presentation.
“Existence is Fertile” is an accumulating narrative in which pasts and futures collide.
The characters that are introduced or implied navigate fictional realms like phantoms.
The subject is life itself, human life, and conflicts that ensue.
The individual works, such as “Losing Millennium”, function as chapters or asides within
an expanding directive.
This particular chapter expliots the topic of metaphorical journeys and questioning out of
sync with immediate stimuli.
Randy Wallace is an artist working in the vernacular of sculpture.
His current trajectory is true to the path which is to say “off course”