cristobal mendoza

Much of Cristobal Mendoza’s art is conceptually linked by his interest in computers, how they relate to art, and his passion for exploring how the overlap between computers and art can tell us about who we are. One of his installations displays, letter by letter, all the words a person typed in a week. This work, “Peephole” at once connects us to the nosy, voyeuristic side of ourselves, while also thwarting it and leaving us unsatisfied, as it is difficult and tedious to piece the letters together. Another work, “Missed Connections,” is closely related, in that it takes messages from Craigslist and a program analyzes the words. In the installation, the phrases without the “meaningful” words are displayed in one place, while the phrases with all the “meaningful” words are in another. It is left up to the viewer to complete the phrases as desired, and to find individual truth in the sentences. This conceptual unity found throughout his work demonstrates an outstanding diversity, while simultaneously keeping a focus throughout years of toil, a difficult, though not impossible task. While his art isn’t stereotypically “pretty,” I think it allows us to come to a deeper understanding of ourselves, which is at the heart of any artistic pursuit.