Gum on our Shoes

On Thursday April 6, The Art Avenue Gallery hosted Gum on our Shoes: A long sticky trail to here and now, an art exhibition with works of  Miguel Bonilla and Jason Lucero.

A relationship that has stood the test of time, Miguel Bonilla and Jason Lucero first met as opponents on the soccer field in high school during the 90s. More than 20 years later and still best friends, this dynamic duo join together for their premier artistic exhibition.

The title of this exhibit illuminates Bonilla and Lucero’s path toward maturity of self and of maturity in art. “Accidentally stepping in gum and then the weaving trail created when trying to get away from it just seemed like the best way to convey our experience together…sort of like two shoes that stepped in the same gum, they start from the same place but go elsewhere, but also parallel after that,” said Bonilla.

Their trails took them from painting murals and backdrops in their early 20s to most recently with Bonilla illustrating and working with acrylic, oil, charcoal and pen while Lucero favors painting and print-making.

“Bonilla and Lucero’s works create a sense of curiosity that has the viewer almost entranced in the works trying to define a story, whether it be their own or of the artists,” said The Art Avenue Gallery owner, Kimberly Rene’ Vanecek.

In this exhibit, Lucero has taken previous works and dismantled them, creating new pieces with a mature twist. “It is like I am collaborating with my younger self and correcting mistakes I might have made and/or filling in some gaps I could not see in the past. The work is becoming the medium, that’s kind of cliche, but rather than making brush strokes, I am choosing to rip up printed paper and adhere it to existing paintings,” said Lucero.

Gum on our Shoes: A Long Sticky Trail to Here and Now will be on display through May.

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