José De Jesús Rodríguez's Back & Forth | Art21 "New York Close Up"

Why It Matters

Rodríguez’s fusion of traditional fresco, contemporary materials, and autobiographical content signals a broader push in contemporary painting to rethink materiality and cultural narratives, challenging stereotypes and expanding how immigrant experiences are represented in the art world. His experimental turn also highlights evolving modes of production that could influence collectors, curators, and institutional programming.

Summary

José de Jesús Rodríguez describes how incorporating fresco into his acrylic and oil paintings transformed his approach, making painting both material and image with a fragile yet resilient quality. His work began as a personal diary rooted in his Salinas upbringing and immigrant family values, then evolved through a 2024 solo show in New York that probed US–Mexico cultural oscillations and representations in popular media. Responding to fatigue after the show, Rodríguez shifted toward repetitive, materially driven acrylic mosaics as a way to move beyond literal imagery and experiment with fragmented processes. He frames his current practice as exploratory—testing how disparate techniques and histories can meet and generate new meanings.

Original Description

This documentary short follows the artist in a moment of creative transition as he adapts the techniques of mosaic to his multilayered compositions, embracing more openness, gesture, and ambiguity in this emerging body of work.

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CREDITS

Director & Producer: Andrea Yu-Chieh Chung. Executive Producer: Tina Kukielski. Series Producer: Nick Ravich. Editors: Daniel Chávez-Ontiveros & Mary Ann Toman. Cinematography: Sean Hanley. Additional Cinematography: Daniel Chávez Ontiveros. Sound: Ana Fernández. Associate Curator: Jurrell Lewis.

Color Correction: Cody L. Sandberg

Sound Design & Mix: Collin Blendell.

Design & Graphics: Chips.

Music: Epidemic Sound

Assistant Editor: Stephanie Cen.

Artwork Courtesy: José de Jesús Rodríguez

Archival Media: POND5

Thanks: Deli Gallery, Gavlak Gallery, Charles Moffett Gallery, José Rodríguez, Nelida Rodríguez

Art21 Staff:

Makda Amdetsyon, Hannah DeGarmo, Lolita Fierro, Ian Forster, Grace LeCates, Madeleine Mendell, Emma Nordin , Jessica Svenson, Noor Tamari, Emilia Copeland Titus , Nora Wimmer

© Art21, Inc. 2026. All rights reserved.

New York Close Up is made possible with support from Deborah Beckmann and Jacob Kotzubei, Jessica and Natan Bibliowicz, The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council, the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature, the Henry Nias Foundation, and individual contributors.

TRANSLATIONS

Translated subtitles are generously contributed by our volunteer translation community. Visit our translation team at Amara for the full list of contributors: https://amara.org/teams/art21/