Esteban Cabeza de Baca's Time Travels | Art21 "New York Close Up"

Painter Esteban Cabeza de Baca quietly defies the laws of space and time, blending past, present, and future in richly layered landscapes of the American Southwest that mirror the myriad histories of the terrains they depict. From his studio in Queens, to on-site painting at the US-Mexico border, to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, this short documentary follows a young artist as he strives to give form to both his personal story and the still-present legacy of colonialism.
Esteban Cabeza de Baca was born in 1985 in San Ysidro, California, and currently lives and works in Queens, New York. Learn more about the artist at: art21.org/estebancabezadebaca
CREDITS
Director & Producer: César Martínez Barba
Executive Producer: Tina Kukielski
“New York Close Up” Series Producer: Nick Ravich
Editor: Lorena Alvarado
Cinematography: Pete Quandt
Sound: Christian Guinanzaca
Associate Producer: Andrea Chung
Assistant Curator: Jurrell Lewis
Additional Cinematography: Dan Brauchli: César Martínez Barba
Color Correction: Lanee Bird
Sound Design & Mix: Gisela Fullà-Silvestre
Design & Graphics: Chips
Music: Tamuz Dekel, frey_s, Dylan Henner
Assistant Editors: Stephanie Cen, Michelle Hanks
Artwork Courtesy: Esteban Cabeza de Baca
Thanks: Bandelier National Monument, Rosario Cabeza de Baca, Andy Cahill, Dar al Islam, Garth Greenan Gallery, Heidi Howard, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New Circuit Films, Rebecca Schear, Tariq Shafi
© Art21, Inc. 2023. All rights reserved.
“New York Close Up” is made possible with support from The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council, the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature, and individual contributors.
TRANSLATIONS
Translated subtitles are generously contributed by our volunteer translation community. To see the full list of contributors, please visit: amara.org/videos/4wE1cjE9XT7m...
#EstebanCabezadeBaca #Art21 #NewYorkCloseUp

[@letstrypeace]

Incredible, incredible. Love so much these glimpses into the minds of brilliant others.

[@albertoballocca]

Love this! Thank you for this!!!! We'll de colonialized this world!

[@ForestBeans]

Beautiful!

[@franganado111]

Thanks Beautiful!!

[@user-ib3mh7su8h]

💚

[@tommybruce8140]

Okay, I LOVE art21 but I really find some of the stylistic editing choices in some of the recent features detract from the work. I don’t need to see the camera spinning on a spiral in the painting. Let the work and the artist convey the meaning. The painting spins on its own, that’s why it’s a painting and not a video. When the video adds drama on top of the work it feels like it’s saying the work isn’t interesting enough on its own. It is! And it’s an insult to the work to act otherwise. Sorry for the negative feedback, the work is great!

[@blackgamer1842]

its not about the work, it’s about the artist

[@tommybruce8140]

@@blackgamer1842 sure, I think the videos can and should explore the artists life and perspective, but some of these features seem like they’re trying to make their own statement within the editing rather than letting the artist and work speak for themselves. Another recent art21 that inexplicably was shot half on color film and half on digital comes to mind…. Like unless it’s the artist suggesting specific interventions I don’t see why the documentary needs to be so heavily stylized.

[@raineterno8370]

Cool paintings, but as an artist I ask what good is "Freedom" if power is held by gallery's & art museum institutions?. They have a stranglehold on control of visibility and tend to commodify art into products. Meanwhile, the artist struggles to exist in capitalist society...ruled by the almighty Dollar.