PRINTMAKING
The screen-print Gotta Catch ‘Em All! was my response to viral images spreading across social media feeds throughout the summer of 2016. I was interested in visually correlating anti-black police brutality with the obsession to catch all Pokemon in the hugely popular mobile AR game of that time, "Pokémon Go!", where gamers track and collect virtual monsters. Compositionally, the design for this print was influenced by a combination of 90’s Arcade Game graphics, Mesoamerican Codices, and User Interface (UI) designs on smart devices.
Printed and editioned by Overpass Projects in Providence, RI
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Reviewed in Art In Print
Volume 6, Number 6
written by Britany Salsbury
"Michael Menchaca describes his work as a “digital codex”—a phrase that captures the juxtaposition and, sometimes, tension between the pre-Columbian and contemporary cultures that he cites. If this cultural collision has echoes of Enrique Chagoya’s codices [see Art in Print Mar–Apr 2012 and July–Aug 2013], Menchaca’s focus on videogames takes his visual language and content in a different direction. ..."
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Hear Audio transcript via the Currier Museum of Art (NH)