DNA a solo exhibition by Martín C. Rodríguez

Statement from the artist: I align with Social Ecology, a political philosophy introduced by revolutionary theorist Murray Bookchin in the 1960s. He proposed organizing society in egalitarian harmony with the natural world. One of his books appears in the drawing “Earth Witness”, which incorporates other philosophical interpretations of nature as well as Buddhist iconography. My tendency to view societal and spiritual struggle through a natural lens can be traced to my rural upbringing on a remote livestock ranch. “Baby Leche” is a life-sized charcoal portrait of my first horse and is emblematic of my formative years spent in nature. “Displacement” parallels themes of native species conservation and colonization by illustrating the ongoing struggle between whitetail deer and invasive axis throughout Texas, including my hometown region.