Artist Profile CJ Escobar Rodgers
CJ Escobar Rodgers, Triptych, 2024,
Paint on cone 6 ceramic, wood, chalk, cotton, nose rings, chains, turf.
From L to R:
Goddess of Summer, 38” x 33” x 32” (965 mm x 838 mm x 813 mm).
Fertilization Idol, 46” x 51” x 24” (1168 mm x 1295 mm x 610 mm).
Deity of Tic Tac Toe, 29” x 30” x 36” (737 mm x 762 mm x 914 mm).
Artist Statement
My work is about re-examining the place of humans in the world through perceptual, anthropological, materialist, and animist ways of knowing. It is about unfurling anthropocentrism and reframing our notions of a separate, individuated self in favor of a more considerate and interconnected way of being through which to examine societal development. Many of my earlier works embraced a raw, sensorial perception to blur the categories we learn in order to separate and identify and apply these animistic ways of engaging with other agents to contemporary modes of existing. More recently, my work has shifted into a critique of humanism drawing inspiration from textiles, architecture, ornament, and technologies influenced by forms found in nature. My work treats humans in a similar way by appropriating their bodies for structural and decorative elements to show how they can be similarly manipulated. Despite the critique, these works offer messages of material homogeneity between human and non-human agents to increase our sense of belongingness in an increasingly artificial world. My process reflects these themes and what I consider to be “connection through sensation.” This is about finding ways to incorporate various mediums into my work, so that I may feel connected to other makers of different times and tongues through my interaction with the medium. Currently, my process incorporates techniques in ceramics, weaving, sewing, woodworking, metalworking, foundry, and painting. In addition to these central themes, my work explores self-expression through semiotics, piercings, and clothing as a way to express agency and self-ownership as well as preservation of objects, ideas, and ways of communicating, inspired by my day job as a museum professional.
Artist Biography
Originally from Long Island, NY, CJ Escobar Rodgers embarked on his academic journey in Finance at the University of Notre Dame, only to discover a passion for design over market research. After transitioning through various fields, he acquired three degrees in Marketing, Psychology, and Studio Art. His sculptural works quickly found permanent homes on campus in the Main Building and Psychology Department. He also assumed roles at the Snite Research Center in the Visual Arts and Raclin-Murphy Museum of Art, where he researched Ancient South American textiles. This investigation deepened his connection to his heritage especially as he began weaving, ceramics and other craft-based techniques. Rodgers’s work has been showcased in numerous galleries and institutions across several states, earning places in several museums including the Midwest Museum of American Art, Anderson Museum of Art, and South Bend Museum of Art’s permanent collections. This year, he won the Outstanding Student Achievement in Contemporary Sculpture Award, an Honorable Mention given by the International Sculpture Center, taught a ceramics class at Ox-Bow School of Art and Artists’ Residency, will complete residencies at South Bend Museum of Art and The Caumsett Foundation, and will be featured in the January/February 2025 issue of Sculpture Magazine.