Jesse Amado

Jesse Amado (born 1951) is a fine artist based in San Antonio, Texas. He makes conceptually-based work with Minimalist and post-Minimalist orientations, using a wide range of materials. One of his favorite materials is felt, and he has used materials as diverse as latex, crystal glass, soap, wood, light, and chicharrones. He also incorporates texts into mixed media works.

Biography

Amado was born and raised in San Antonio. When he was a high school student, Amado interned with prominent architect O'Neil Ford. Tired of being a student, he abandoned his architectural ambitions and enlisted in the U.S. Navy. Amado served as a sailor for four years, stationed in Newport, Rhode Island.[1] He visited New York City and was impressed by its museums, where he encountered the work of artists such as Andy Warhol. After the Navy, Amado studied at San Antonio Community College (SAC), where he came to the attention of Mel Casas, long-time chair of SAC's art department, and a leader of the Con Safo art group, which was dedicated to Chicano art. "Mel Casas was a great artist," Amado said. "When my work was included in a student show, he became a collector of my work and a patron."[2]

In 1977, Amado received a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from The University of Texas at Austin. He had planned to become a writer, but "it turned out that I had a better grasp of the visual language. I made a decision to become an artist and I took steps to try and achieve that."[1] He received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in 1987, and a Master of Fine Arts in 1990, both from The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA).[3]

His decision to pursue art coincided with the opening of the Blue Star Art Complex, now called Contemporary at Blue Star. Amado also gravitated to alternative spaces, including House Space and Sala Diaz. The latter was operated by artist Alejandro Diaz. At this time, Artpace also opened in San Antonio. Amado and other young artists including Franco Mondini-Ruiz and Chuck Ramirez, who socialized together, moved near to these institutions on South Flores, in the Southtown neighborhood.[3]

In 1995, Amado was selected for Artpace's International Artist-in-Residence Program.[2][4]Amado refers to the period from 1995 to 2000 as "the golden age of contemporary art in San Antonio."[1] The artist relocated to New York in the mid-2000s, and he returned to San Antonio in 2014.

For a short time, Amado "tried teaching," but he didn't like the experience because he thought his literature students were unmotivated. He joined the San Antonio Fire Department, where he was employed for 25 years "because the schedule was great. I had to work 24 hours and then I had 48 hours off, and in those 48 hours I would go to my studio and make art. It worked out beautifully."[1] This steady employment provided security that artistic vocations rarely do. It also gave him a different perspective. When he is with other artists, Amado notes: "I look around and I’m the only one who can probably say that I’ve saved lives and property."[1]

Artistic Practice

Amado's artistic practice is to begin with a concept or idea: “I am always experimenting,” he said. “The concept comes first, and then I look for the materials that will carry that meaning.”[2] Amado's influences include the German artist Joseph Beuys (1921–1986), the international Fluxus movement,[2] and Minimalists Donald Judd and Brice Marden.[4] It has been argued that his use of mixed media elements "would be sacrilege to a diehard Minimalist."[4]

Amado's use of text-based art, as well as found materials is said to "represent human experiences" by means of "investigation of text, repetition and communication."[5] In 2001, Amado used label makers to create texts "laden with themes of love and romance," first by making "frottage drawings done by rubbing over the embossed texts." When the vinyl tape proceeded to coil, Amado "recognized a sculptural potential in them, which led to making digital prints by photographing the coiled tape resting on glass."[4]

Amado also makes explicitly political works – something anathema to Minimalists. One such example is the neon sculpture Mission Accomplished, I Lied (2008). In this work, the phrase "I LIED," is embedded inside the phrase "MISSION ACCOMPLISHED." It flashes on and off continuously, causing the viewer "to consider the Bush administration’s hawkish agenda as well as their false claims regarding weapons of mass destruction."[4]

Solo and Two Person Exhibitions

2024 Jesse Amado: Heat and Time, Kind of a Small Array, Magdalena, NM; curator: Hills Snyder

2020 Jesse Amado and Alejandro Diaz: Double Pleasure, Ruiz-Healy Art, San Antonio, TX and New York, NY (catalogue)

2019 Sensoria, South Texas College Library Art Gallery, McAllen, TX

2018 GESAMTKUNSTWERK, Blue Star Contemporary, San Antonio, TX

2017 Let's Do but In Blue, Gallery 100 Palo Alto College, San Antonio, TX; curator: Lloyd Walsh

Jesse Amado: BECOMING, Ruiz-Healy Art, San Antonio, TX (catalogue)

2016 Tithering: What are we doing here? S.M.A.R.T Project Space, San Antonio, TX

2015 Jesse Amado: 30 Day Rx, Ruiz-Healy Art, San Antonio, TX (catalogue)

Rounded Mass to be Swallowed Whole, Dock Space Gallery, San Antonio, TX

2007 Jesse Amado, Hudson (Show) Room, Artpace, San Antonio, TX

2004 Thieving Magpie, Barbara Davis Gallery, Houston, Texas

2003 Beauty Spot, ARTMATTERS 4, The McNay Art Museum, San Antonio, Texas (catalogue)

SCOPE: New York, Featured Artist, Finesilver Gallery, New York, NY

Everything Must Go! Finesilver Gallery, San Antonio, TX

2002 Up and Down: Jesse Amado and Ken Little, The University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX

Digital Migrations: Jesse Amado and Chuck Ramirez, Sala Diaz, ARCO 02, Cutting Edge, Madrid, Spain

2001 L’Avventura: New Drawings and Sculptures, Linc Real Art, San Francisco, CA

Odysseus and Omissions, Barbara Davis Gallery, Houston, TX

2000 Moving images, The Alameda Theatre, The Alameda National Center for Latino Arts and Culture, San Antonio, TX

1999 Jesse Amado + Donald Moffett, Finesilver Gallery, San Antonio, TX

Disenchantment, Rrose Amarillo, San Antonio, TX

1998 Pacific Exchange, Gwangju-San Antonio, Blue Star Contemporary Art Museum, San Antonio, TX

1997 Jesse Amado: Common Task: New Drawings and Installation, Barbara Davis Gallery, Houston, TX

Jesse Amado: Con Cariño, Line Gallery, Gwangju, South Korea, a sponsored exhibition on the occasion of the Gwangju Biennale

Dicha, Sala Diaz, San Antonio, TX

Pieces, Works, Installation, Wolfson Gallery, Miami, FL

1996 Jesse Amado: Renascence, Contemporary Arts Museum, Houston, TX; curator: Dana Friis-Hansen (catalogue)

Jesse Amado, Milagros Contemporary Art Gallery, San Antonio, TX

Jesse Amado: A Flirtation with Fire, Carla Stellweg Gallery, New York, NY

1995 Jesse Amado, Davis/McClain Gallery, Houston, TX

1994 New Works, Milagros Contemporary Art Gallery, San Antonio, TX

MCMXCIV, Bemis Center for Contemporary Art, Omaha, NE

1993 Introductions, Davis/McClain Gallery, Houston, TX

1992 Just Selections, Galveston Arts Center, Galveston, TX

Drawings and Sculpture, Jansen-Perez Gallery, San Antonio, TX

1991 New Works, Fabric Workshop and Museum, Philadelphia, PA

1989 Pursuit of Transient Aims, Koehler Cultural Art Center, San Antonio, TX

Honors and Awards

1995 Creative Excellence Award, Graduate category, The University of Texas at San Antonio, TX

1992 Visual Arts Fellowship Grant, Art Matters, Inc., New York, NY

1991 Visual Artists Fellowship Grant, National Endowment for the Arts (sculpture)

1989 Touring Citation, New American Talent, Laguna Gloria Art Museum, Austin, TX

1983 Juror's Award, Tenth Annual Texas College Art Show, Mountain View College, Dallas, TX (Betye Saar, Juror)

Museum Collections

Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, San Diego, CA

Blanton Museum of Art, Austin, TX[6]

Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, TX[7]

San Antonio Museum of Art, San Antonio, TX[8]

Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington, D.C.[9]

South Texas Museum of Corpus Christi, Corpus Christi, TX

The McNay Art Museum, San Antonio, TX[10]

Museo del Barrio, New York City, NY

National Hispanic Cultural Center, Albuquerque, NM

Linda Pace Foundation Collection, Ruby City, San Antonio, TX[11]

Public Artworks

2022 University Health System, San Antonio, TX

2015 UTSA Art Collection, San Antonio, TX[12]

2013 Memorial for San Antonio Fire Department, San Antonio, TX

2010 Days, Memorial for Linda Pace, San Antonio Central Library, San Antonio, TX

2007 Never Forget, San Antonio Fire Department Operations Center, San Antonio, TX

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Cord, Rebecca Fontenot (2020-10-30). "Jesse Amado on His Life as a Firefighter, a Veteran and one of San Antonio's Most Acclaimed Artists". San Antonio Magazine. Retrieved 2026-02-22.
  2. ^ a b c d Tennant, Donna (2023-04-11). "Form Follows Concept for San Antonio Artist Jesse Amado". Arts and Culture TX. Retrieved 2026-02-22.
  3. ^ a b Smithsonian Archives of American Art, Oral History Interview with Jesse Amado, 2004, May 31 – June 4. https://www.aaa.si.edu/download_pdf_transcript/ajax?record_id=edanmdm-AAADCD_oh_248017
  4. ^ a b c d e Rubin, David S. (2016-03-12). "Jesse Amado: Quiet Observer of Changing Times". San Antonio Report. Retrieved 2026-02-22.
  5. ^ bbglobalpro (2020-09-07). "About the artist: Jesse Amado". BioBridge Global. Retrieved 2026-02-22.
  6. ^ "Blanton Museum of Art, Works". blanton.emuseum.com. Retrieved 2026-02-22.
  7. ^ "Jesse Amado | People | The MFAH Collections". emuseum.mfah.org. Retrieved 2026-02-22.
  8. ^ "Jesse Amado". sanantonio.emuseum.com. Retrieved 2026-02-22.
  9. ^ "Jesse Amado | Smithsonian American Art Museum". americanart.si.edu. Retrieved 2026-02-22.
  10. ^ "Jesse Amado (b.1951)". McNay Art Museum. Retrieved 2026-02-22.
  11. ^ "Collection, Jesse Amado". rubycitycollections.zetcom.net. Retrieved 2026-02-22.
  12. ^ "Jesse Amado | UTSA Art Collection". lib.utsa.edu. Retrieved 2026-02-22.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.