Mallets and forks up, Phoenix! Chow Bella and Roosevelt Row present the third annual Pie Social and Croquet Tournament on Saturday, November 3, from 2 to 6 p.m. on Roosevelt Row in downtown Phoenix. Chow Bella's profiling the all-star line up of pie-makers, and from now til Pie Social, we'll introduce the artists creating wickets for the Croquet Tournament, one by one. Up today: Roy Cárdenas
Roy Cárdenas is a sculpture student at ASU. He was born and raised in Southern California until moving to Las Vegas when he was 17.
See Also: - Sculptor Jamie Quidachay on Marriage, Art, and Her Wicket Project for Downtown's Croquet Tournament- Get Ready for a Downtown Croquet Tournament During Chow Bella and Roosevelt Row's Annual Pie Social in November
Cárdenas then moved to Arizona when he was 23.
He says he likes to stay "politically aware and active within his community in many facets."
He also says his work speaks to his personal life and his culture, including his experiences growing up as a first generation Chicano in the South West.
When you aren't sculpting you're probably...
Whenever I am not sculpting I am drawing, or should I say less drawing and more scribbling and doodling, filling scrapbooks with nonsensical ideas I can later refine. I also love old Mexican films from the 30's and 40's something that I enjoy with my grandmother and mother often.
Three major inspirations or influences?
My Mexican culture has always been a great influence in all the things I do, but especially my artwork. Another great influence I have had has been my mother. She has always pushed me to express myself without fear or reproach. One of the greatest artistic influences throughout my life has been Jesús Helguera. His artwork was always around no matter which family members' house we were at. His work was always being used as the only picture for the calendar that we would get from the local Mexican butcher shop every year. At the end of the year we would always tear of the calendar at the bottom and keep the prints on the wall
Since the theme is Alice in Wonderland, if you could be any character in the World of Alice in Wonderland who would it be and why?
The Character I most identify with is The March Hare. Like him, I go through periods of complete madness with just a bit of less folly in-between. Like March Hare, I at times behave in a delirious manner thinking that it is always tea time in the sense that it is very difficult for me to sit still and be serious for long periods.
Most preferred materials or medium to work with when sculpting?
One of the materials I most enjoy to work with is meal because of its character, the duality of its hard unyielding nature, along with how it may be molten and cast. I also love working with paper, for its similar complexity. It is fragile and can be easily folded, pulped and cast, but easily made solid.
Favorite pie...
My favorite kind of pie is one filled with a myriad of different berries.
More profiles are coming soon, but in the meantime you can check out Chow Bella's lineup of Pie Social chefs. Stay tuned to Jackalope Ranch and Chow Bella for more info.