Jason Villegas

Jason Villegas (born August 16, 1977 in Houston, TX) is currently a New York City based contemporary visual artist. He has exhibited across the United States and internationally. Villegas' work utilizes a wide spectrum of mediums including sculpture, installation, painting, drawing, textile, video and performance. He has created his own artistic teleology, which explores concepts such as globalism, evolution, sexuality, and consumerism. Motifs in Villegas' artworks include fashion logos, animal hybrids, weaponry, sales banners, clothing piles, anuses, cosmic debris, taxidermy, bear men, amorphous beasts, religious iconography, and party scenarios.

Phantom Sightings

Jason Villegas was a part of the traveling group exhibition Phantom Sightings: Art After the Chicano Movement, curated by Rita Gonzales, Howard Fox, and Chen Noriega. Beginning at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) in 2008, the 26 artist exhibit toured for two years including renowned spaces as El Museo Ruffino Tamayo in Mexico City, El Museo del Barrio in New York City, The Phoenix Art Museum (PAM) in Arizona, Museo de Arte de Zappopan in Guadalajara, and the Museo Alameda in San Antonio. His selected work "Celestial Situation" (2006) featured a wall mural of painting and drawing depicting planetary spheres of cosmic clutter involving a video projection of animated 2D artworks onto a drawing of compressed entertainment electronics and media. The animation reveals a consumption cosmology of anuses, beasts, and a rotund man watching television.

Education

Villegas earned his MFA in 2007 at the Mason Gross School of Art at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, NJ and his BFA in 2003 at the University of Houston in Texas.

Exhibitions

Solo Exhibition

2009

Perspectives: 167 Contemporary Arts Museum Houston, TX
Botched Simulacrum McClain Gallery Houston, TX

2008

Hunter Gatherer Receiver Gallery San Francisco, CA
Cosmic Slut Gescheidle Chicago, IL
Impish Animal [Okay Mountain Austin, TX

2007

G*D Project Gallery New Brunswick, NJ

2006

Forever Developing Shrine Plush Dallas, TX
Repressed Burial Fantasy Okay Mountain Austin, TX

2005

Ultrabastard: marketing seminar Cactus Bra Space San Antonio, TX
Absolute Destiny Apocalypse Deborah Colton Gallery Houston, TX
Growth Hormone Mutation Make-Over Plush Dallas, TX

2004

Beast Taxidermy CSAW Houston, TX

2003

Romantic Poverty & Hunger Pains Montgomery College Conroe, TX

Group Exhibition

2010

Joni Kathleen Cullen Gallery, NYC, NY
Emerging Artist Fellowship Socrates Sculpture Park, Long Island City, NY
Head and Pole Western Exhibitions Chicago, IL
Global National Exit Art NYC, NY
Phantom Sightings: Art After the Chicano Movement El Museo Del Barrio, NYC

2009

Aparaciones Fantasmales Museo de Arte de Zappopan, Guadalajara, MX
Phantom Sightings: Art After the Chicano Movement Phoenix Art Museum AZ
Phantom Sightings: Art After the Chicano Movement Alameda Museum San Antonio, TX

2008

Aparaciones Fantasmales Museo Ruffino Tamayo, Mexico City
Phantom Sightings: Art After the Chicano Movement LACMA Los Angeles, CA
Children in Heat Lawndale Art Center Houston, TX 2007 Art Club Gescheidle Chicago, IL
The Paul Nudd Curatorial Experience Western Exhibitions Chicago, IL
Eyes Wide Open El Museo Del Barrio / The Armory New York, NY
The Dams 2 / Las Represas Universidad del Sagrado Corazón Puerto Rico
Object UT at Dallas, TX 2006 Manic & Wasted Swing Space NYC, NY
Debut The Texas Firehouse LIC, NY
Stop Trashing Houston Versionfest Chicago, IL
La Frontera Gescheidle Chicago, IL

2005

Young Latino Artists #10 Mexic Arte Museum Austin, TX
Artadia Houston Diverseworks Houston, TX
I-10 a Postmodern Route 66 McClain Gallery Houston, TX
New Cartoon Deborah Colton Gallery Houston, TX
Woods Negative Space Houston, TX

2004

Temporary Contemporary The Orange Show Houston, TX
Sloppy Slobbering Monster The Bank Kansas City, MO
In Situ Allen’s Landing Houston, TX
Camp Lucky Summer of Carnage Deborah Colton Gallery Houston, TX
Brothers Fresh up Club Austin, TX
New American Talent 19 ArtHouse Austin, TX

2004

Brave New World McClain Gallery Houston, TX

2003

Animals Art Car Museum Houston, TX
The Big Show Lawndale Art Center Houston, TX
Dallas vs. Houston Plush Gallery Dallas, TX
Trailer Park Deer Park, TX

2002

The Big Show Lawndale Art Center Houston, TX

2001

Friendly Mart Quick Stop Houston, TX

Awards

2010

Lower Manhattan Cultural Council Workspace Studio
Socrates Sculpture Park Emerging Artist Fellowship

2007

Vermont Studio Center Nadine Goldsmith Fellowship

2004

Artadia Houston Grant Finalist

Publications

2011

Boro Magazine "Art Imitates Life"

2010

ArtLies January

2009

Houston Chronicle "Jason Villegas casts animal logos as invasive species" by Douglas Britt August
Houston Press "Perspectives 167: Jason Villegas" by D.L. Groover October
Houston Press "Polo by Jason Villegas" by Kelly Klassmeyer October

2008

LACMA Phantom Sightings: Art After The Chicano Movement exhibition catalog by Howard Fox, Rita Fox
LA Times Phantom Sightings: Art After The Chicano Movement

2007

Art in America "Jason Villegas at Dallas" by Charles Dee Mitchell May

2006

Cantanker Magazine “Okay Mountain: Jason Villegas” by Cherie Weaver May

2005

Glasstire: Texas Visual Art Online "Tire Iron 52" by Bill Davenport July
Austin American Statesman “An exhibition of latino art-whatever that may be” by Jeanne Claire van Ryzia August
Dallas Observer “Growth Hormone Mutation Make-over” by Charrissa N Terranova February
Houston Press “New Cartoon” by Kelly Klaasmeyer March
Houston Press “Woods” by Kelly Klaasmeyer February

2004

Glasstire: Texas Visual Art Online "Best of 2004" by Rachel Cook
New American Talent, The Nineteenth Exhibition, Arthouse, Exhibition Catalog
Houston Press “Temporary Insanity” by Steven Devedanam November
Houston Press “No Virgins, No Velvet” by Josh Harkinson November
Houston Press “New World Order” by Steven Devedanam May

2003

Dallas Observer “Urban Brawl, It’s Houston vs. Dallas” by Annabelle Massey Helber April

2002

Houston Press “The Biggest and the Baddest” by Kelly Klaasmeyer July