Encanto Rural speaks about the times relating to James and Lenise Miller—husband and wife— who have grown-up in culturally different parts of the United States. Having moved to Texas some 20 years ago from Indiana, James brought with him memories, stories, and physical artifacts that speak about who he is. Growing up Hispanic in a Spanish speaking family in Falfurrias and Premont, Texas, Lenise shares many of the same memories and stories as James, as well as cross-cultural processes and memories of the work put in by their parents, grandparents and themselves.

Lenise Perez-Miller reflects on her life growing up as a Hispanic, female catholic in a predominately Anglo environment. The ideas of what she is supposed to be like or do in her life are accentuated through her art. She creates narrative pieces using clay and found objects and redefines their meaning to conjure up past memories for viewers. This sometimes can cause a contradiction, however Lenise believe that by combining feminine materials and juxtaposing them with hard, masculine materials, such as metal or wood, she is able to define the beauty of her memories, as well as, the humor of her sadness and innocence of her cruelty. The use of her objects channels the symbolism in her work and assists Lenise in constructing her ideas.

James Miller makes objects because he likes to problem solve. As a ceramicist and Assemblage artist, his goal is to mine for and appropriate artifacts, images, and language into his works. The more James works with clay and mixed media materials the more secrets they reveal, this in turn affords limitless opportunities in his formative process. James’s decisions are predicated on the fact that many of the source materials that he chooses to work with are made from materials that allows for cold-connections. Cold-connections (otherwise known as nuts, screws, bolts, clay, slip, and heat) allow for archival quality. James also uses materials that are fleeting, or in other words, left in their natural state so that they would succumb to natural erosive processes. However, once James rescues them, he then uses and attempts to preserve them in a way that extends their lives, and in turn invites others to see them in new ways.

Join us at the opening reception on Friday, July 12, 2019 from 6:00-9:00pm for light refreshments and music by FORGED IN FIRE featuring Sabrina Lopez.

For more information, please call Centro Cultural Aztlan at 210-432-1896 or come by Centro Cultural Aztlan’s office located in the Deco Building at 1800 Fredericksburg Road, Suite 103. www.centroaztlan.org

*This exhibit is made possible by the support for the City of San Antonio: Department of Arts & Culture, Texas Commission on the Arts, The Jefferson Woodlawn Lake Community Development Corporation, AKR Foundation, San Antonio Area Foundation, and the many friends of Centro Cultural Aztlan.*