Memo Gutierrez
Artist Statement
My practice examines the possibilities within recognizing the intrinsic agency of detritus through sonic and sculptural expression. Processes unfold through an evolving temporality rather than a structured, predetermined composition. Understanding emerges through intuition rather than imposed systems. Finding the signal within the noise is to cultivate a sensitivity to the unattended; to pull the background towards the foreground.
Bio
Memo Gutierrez (b. 1986) is a multidisciplinary artist from El Paso, Texas who received his MFA at Arizona State University in 2022. Gutierrez's practice considers the value within everyday objects which are no longer considered relevant or useful— gathering materials from alleyways, illegal dumpsites, and landfills. Working with these abandoned materials developed a sensitivity toward the untapped potential of the castaway. Together with the repurposing of physical waste, he salvages sonic waste to create sound assemblages using noise, field recordings, electro-magnetic frequencies, and homemade instruments. His work has been shown both nationally and internationally. He has received various awards including the International Sculpture Center’s Outstanding Student Achievement in Contemporary Sculpture in 2017. Guillermo’s work is a part of the permanent collections of both the El Paso Museum of Art and the Rubin Center for Visual Arts. He currently lives and works in Tempe, AZ.