AUTRY Announces CARLOS NIETO III (CNIII): WinnerAutry’s High Five Art Contest
Los Angeles-based Artist Carlos Nieto III
Wins the Autry’s High Five Art Contest
Launch party to take place Thursday, May 21, 2015, from 6:30 to 9:00 p.m.
Los Angeles, CA (May 5, 2015)—The Autry National Center of the American West announces Carlos Nieto III’s Cultura Nouveau as the winner of High Five Art, a new public art contest that encourages artists to interpret the present-day American West. Nieto will receive a prize of $2,500 and his design will be featured for one year on a 49’ x 19’ banner at the Autry's building in Griffith Park, where it will be visible from the 5 Freeway and the Los Angeles River. Nieto, along with the other four contest finalists, will be celebrated at a launch party on Thursday, May 21.
"When I saw the Autry's High Five Art contest artist call, I jumped at the chance,” said Nieto, an artist who was born and raised in Los Angeles. "Knowing that the winning image would be displayed on the building, I wanted to create an art piece that would cause the viewer to acknowledge and question it to create a visual dialogue. It's no doubt that the American West has always been a cultural melting pot but to what degree? I attempted to create a new vision of the American West, a vision of the cultures that are here now and are integral to it but are not recognized as being a part of it."
Throughout his childhood, Nieto saw Olvera Street as a cultural outlet and a source of inspiration. He is fascinated by the visual intersections between cultures and is driven to discover underlying connections between various artistic styles. "I felt that the message of this contest was perfectly in sync with my artistic vision, the focus of which has narrowed to making subtle connections across ethnic, racial, gender, and religious divides," Nieto said.
Through High Five Art, artists were encouraged to rethink perceptions of the American West—including its populations and landscapes—within a bold and creative format. A selection committee chose five finalists based on artistic merit, connection to the theme, originality, and ability to effectively translate onto a large banner format. Designs by the five finalists were displayed inside the Autry and online from March 1 to April 15, 2015, attracting more than 2,600 votes. The first runner-up is David C. Bryant’s design, Sun-Scope. The second runner-up is Caitlin Anne’s design, Truce. Both runner-ups will receive $500, and all five finalists will receive a one-year Autry membership.
“This was an experiment designed to better understand how local artists would interpret the West as a concept, a physical and cultural landscape, and a place. We were very excited to see the depth and breadth of the High Five Art submissions, along with the thought and execution that went into the wide-ranging results,” said Amy Scott, the Autry's Chief Curator and Marilyn B. and Calvin B. Gross Curator of Visual Arts.