Ana Serrano’s ‘Salon of Beauty’ installation to open Sept. 29 at Rice Gallery

Franz Brotzen
713-348-6775
franz.brotzen@rice.edu

Ana Serrano’s colorful cardboard cityscape titled ‘Salon of Beauty’ will debut Sept. 29 at Rice Gallery. The artist will be present for a gallery talk at 5 p.m. She will also discuss her work at a luncheon the following day at noon. Both events are free and open to the public.

Serrano, a Los Angeles-based artist, is interested in the colors, lettering and hand-painted illustrations that characterize the “unplanned architecture” of L.A.’s Hispanic neighborhoods. “Salon of Beauty” is based on her observations.

The free exhibit is open to the public and will be on display through Dec. 11 in the gallery at Rice University’s Sewall Hall, 6100 Main St.

Serrano’s 2006 “Cartonlandia,” a 5-foot-tall cardboard sculpture of a “mountain” of houses, incorporated images of doors, windows and cars that she photographed on her walks around Los Angeles. She then began a series of small, highly detailed cardboard buildings; each one mixed aspects of the vernacular architecture in constant flux — changing store displays, an air conditioner secured in an iron cage and buildings repurposed with a coat of paint. They became neighborhoods where people recreate their environment on a day-to-day basis out of necessity and cultural aesthetics.

Serrano continues this investigation of the homespun and ephemeral nature of such neighborhoods in her new installation. The title, “Salon of Beauty,” came from the literal translation of the Spanish phrase “salon de belleza,” or beauty salon, which she saw on the side of a small mom-and-pop beauty salon. Serrano said the circumstances of how she found the phrase and the word “beauty” resonated perfectly for her in her quest to point out what she calls an “untraditional beauty,” things that might be cast aside as the “ugly” side of urban life.

Serrano said she hopes her first site-specific installation will capture the experience of moving through a city in its entirety, full of all the unexpected moments and juxtapositions that form its neighborhoods.

Serrano received a bachelor’s degree from the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, Calif. She has participated in several exhibitions, including “Giant Robot Biennale 2” at the Japanese American National Museum (2009), “Papershapers” at Scion Installation Space (2009) and “East of Eden” at the Los Angeles Municipal Gallery (2008). Her work was featured in Lamono Magazine (2010), American Style Magazine (2009) and STEP Inside Design (2009) as well as the books “Juxtapoz: Handmade” and “Beyond Architecture: Imaginary Buildings and Fictional Cities.” Serrano has created sets, props, illustrations and animations for footwear designer Christian Louboutin and cosmetics retailer Sephora.

For more on “Salon of Beauty,” go to http://www.ricegallery.org/new/exhibition/serrano.html.

Rice Gallery is open Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Thursday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.; and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. The gallery is closed Mondays and university holidays.