ABOUT: 

Rodrigo Angel Jimenez-Ortega received his  BFA from San Diego State University and his MFA from Pratt Institute. He has exhibited work in San Diego, Tijuana, Mexico City, and New York City. Jimenez has been featured in Saatchi Art’s list of “Rising Stars”, completed a Residency in Mexico City’s “Casa LU” and participated in The Fronts: Arte y Cultura’s apprenticeship. His paintings blend the aesthetics and imagery from his upbringing in both San Diego and Tijuana. Being raised in a hybrid environment, at the border, alternating between the United States and Mexico has allowed me to partake in two cultures simultaneously. I grew up going back and forth between Tijuana and San Diego, speaking both Spanish and English, consuming media from the two countries, and learning cultural norms from the two countries. With my work I position the culture I come from (Mexico), in relation to the culture I grew up in (United States), in relation to the culture I’ve chosen (Video games and Cartoons). My paintings are the byproducts of my examinations and research into Mexican and American history, the cultures I operate within, and my day to day life. The imagery I work with comes from photos I've taken on my phone, old family pictures, archived historical photographs as well as content found online. I examine, look for, and sometimes force relationships between the images. It is of interest to me how altering the relationships between the images and their contexts affects their perceived meaning.