Second Set

The Mexican artist Acamonchi uses stencils, silkscreen, tape and spray paint on wood, slaps titles like “Terrible Sexo Sexo” on his creations, and loves to appropriate sexist and racist ads depicting Mexicans, which may explain why the spray cans that have crept into his paintings (carrying the milk of his artistic expression?) inevitably look like breasts. A lifelong Fluxus fan (who wears the Fluxus logo inked on his arm) he emerged from the skate punk and fanzine scene of the 80s in Tijuana/Ensenada and southern California, and moved from San Diego to New York last year. The face of presidential candidate Luis Donaldo Colosio,who was assassinated in Tijuana during a campaign rally in 1994, often appears in his work as a symbol of Mexico’s entrenched political corruption (Acamonchi has outfitted him as Colonel Sanders and as a cosmonaut).

When I visited Acamonchi and his six-toed cat in Washington Heights recently, he showed me these paintings, among others:

Terrible Sexo Sexo

Doors Open

Super Limpio

Acamonchi, who studied graphic design, has worked with MTV, Reebok,Vans,Tribal Gear and Obey (and his Osiris shoes are pretty adorable.) But his focus, now, is art. He likes to paint fast, and his improvised stencil and silkscreen imagery adds depth to his chaotic graffiti work. You can see him in action here. Better yet, go to his show at Eyelevel BQE in Williamsburg, in May.