September 10 - October
Opening Reception September 11, 5-7pm

The first RCA solo show for Salvador Rodriguez, celebrating National Hispanic Heritage Month, will be hosted in the Main Gallery. Drawing inspiration from the landscapes of the Texas Big Bend and the desert region of Texas and northern Mexico, Rodriguez conveys the sense of majesty of a panoramic view and tranquility of desert life on canvas. Each painting is a project of months or even years, beginning with a trip and study of the location, and ending in his work after adding compositions in skies, plants and rocks to give balance.

“Before creating even a plant, I like to study them and know them, including their ecosystem, as well as the history and myths of the place I am trying to capture in my works,” Rodriguez said. “So beyond trying to reproduce a photographic copy is a composition and re-creation of the essence of the place.”

Although he earned a degree in computer systems engineering, art has remained his passion. Rodriguez has worked with various mediums and techniques, including oil and watercolor, but uses acrylic on canvas most frequently since it dries quickly and allows him greater mobility. Since arriving in Austin, Texas, in 2015, Rodriguez has painted more than 36 works exhibited in various galleries and events, including both East and West Austin Studio tours.

“Epic and sublime are the best words to describe Rodriguez’s paintings,” said Elena Rodriguez, curator of exhibitions for RCA. “They convey the majesty of the West Texas region in stunning, hyperrealistic detail.”

Artist Statement

Conveying the sense of majesty of a panoramic view and tranquility of desert life on a piece of canvas is my goal. My inspiration stems mostly from the landscapes of Big Bend and the desert of Texas and Northern Mexico, but I am also influenced by surrealism, and I consider art as an agent of change i n social consciousness. 

Each painting is a project of months or years of work that begins with a trip and study of the place, and ends in my workshop after adding compositions in skies, plants and rocks to give balance.

Before creating a plant on t e canvas I like to study them and know them previously, as well as their ecosystem and especially the history and myths of t he place, which I try t o capture in my works. So beyond trying to reproduce a photographic copy is a composition and recreation of the essence of the place with native plants.