Francisco Guerrero
Loaves and Fishes
There is a growing movement of people who are choosing to live on the edge of society, unplugged from civilization. Francisco Guerrero examines the systems that make their off-the-grid lifestyle possible.
- January 4 - 25, 2018
- Opening: Thursday, January 4
A sense of apocalyptic dread is nothing foreign to modern existence—today’s zeitgeist of fear is rooted in climate change, social and political injustice, threats of war, and economic collapse. In a world with insufficient and inequitable resources, some predict an oncoming lawless free-for-all where survival will depend on preparedness, stockpiling, and fortifying. Others feel that God is calling them to a life of self-sufficiency. Whatever the motivation—religious belief, extremist ideology, gun enthusiasm, self-defense, paranoia, enhanced connection to the land, disaster readiness, or DIY leanings—these individuals are actively preparing for a dystopian future.
In Loaves and Fishes, Francisco Guerrero builds from the “prepper” handbook, connecting contemporary survivalist food growing and gathering practices with forms and imagery from Pre-Columbian Mexico, ancient military ranks, and Christian iconography. Sculptures (including functional animal traps and vertical gardens) and drawings create a pastiche of doomsday extremism and TEOTWAWKI (“the end of the world as we know it”) methodologies.
About the Artist
Francisco Guerrero is originally from Southern California. He received his BFA from the University of Southern California’s Roski School of Art and Design and his MFA from the University of California, San Diego.
Guerrero is primarily a painter whose practice spans over 20 years. His work has focused on portraiture, mapping, human desire, and military proliferation, all seen through the lens of American popular culture. He was the principal for a public works mural project from 1997 – 2000, developing large-scale artworks throughout the Los Angeles City School District. Now an Associate Professor at Seattle University, Guerrero teaches all levels of painting and drawing. He is also the founding director of the Seattle University Visual Artist in Residence program. This is his first solo exhibition since torito + castillos at Vachon Gallery in 2016.