Exhibition Overview
Throughout their dynamic and multidisciplinary practice, José Villalobos (b.1988, El Paso, Texas) interrogates and deconstructs aspects of gender and masculinity found within the U.S. / Mexico borderlands. Their practice underscores the rigid and conservative patriarchal roots of their Evangelical Mexican upbringing merged with the cultural mores of West Texas, bringing to bear how these are often at odds with their own identity as a queer, Brown person. How do you see masculinity represented in your culture?
“Rough Rider” marks the first U.S. solo museum presentation for the artist. It presents a diverse collection of newly created works from the artist’s residency with CALA Alliance in the Fall of 2024. The exhibition focuses on the spectacle of rodeo culture, addressing themes related to machismo, protection and gender. Practice barrels, ropes and flanks, all of which exude preconceived ideas of masculinity, are reinterpreted with a distinct flashiness to assert a tension between what it means to be masculine. Taken as a whole, “Rough Rider” asks us to consider how we exist within the parameters of socially constructed norms and those that endure outside of them.
“José Villalobos: Rough Rider” is organized by ASU Art Museum Senior Curator Alana Hernandez, with ASU Art Museum Windgate Curatorial Fellow Sade Moore and is made possible with generous funding from the Terra Foundation for American Art. Additional funding is provided by The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts.
José Villalobos: Rough Rider Audio Guide
Use the audio players below at the corresponding exhibition location.
Stop 1: Introduction
English
Hi, I’m Alana Hernandez, Senior Curator here at the ASU Art Museum.
“José Villalobos: Rough Rider” is the first solo U.S. museum presentation for Texan-born multidisciplinary artist José Villalobos. Within his work, Villalobos seeks to deconstruct aspects of gender and masculinity found within the U.S. / Mexico borderlands. He does so by repurposing quotidian items that echo his upbringing on the border –– hats, boots, belts, among other items.
For this exhibition, Villalobos has created entirely new work, completed while in residency with CALA Alliance. Focusing on rodeo, Villalobos underscores the inherent contradictions within the sport: at once performative and overtly masculine, yet also embodying an air of spectacle and flamboyance. In so doing, the artist addresses themes related to machismo, protection and performing gender. By queering rodeo, intentionally flipping the sport on its head, Villalobos challenges traditional gender roles by disrupting these entrenched systems through his physical presence within the sport, the very act of claiming space in a traditionally exclusive environment. The exhibition asks us to consider how we exist within the parameters of socially constructed norms and who are those that endure outside of them.
Español
Hola, Soy Alana Hernandez, Curadora Senior aquí en el ASU Art Museum.
“José Villalobos: Jinete rudo” es la primera presentación individual en un museo de los Estados Unidos del artista multidisciplinario nacido en Texas, José Villalobos. En su obra, Villalobos busca deconstruir aspectos de género y masculinidad presentes en las zonas fronterizas entre Estados Unidos y México. Lo hace reutilizando objetos cotidianos que evocan su crianza en la frontera, como sombreros, botas, cinturones, entre otros elementos.
Para esta exhibición, Villalobos ha creado obras completamente nuevas, realizadas durante su residencia con CALA Alliance. Centrándose en el rodeo, Villalobos subraya las contradicciones inherentes al deporte: a la vez performativo y abiertamente masculino, pero también con un aire de espectáculo y extravagancia. Al hacerlo, el artista aborda temas relacionados con el machismo, la protección y la performance de género. Al hacer del rodeo un espacio queer, Villalobos trastoca intencionadamente el deporte y desafía los roles tradicionales de género al interrumpir estos sistemas arraigados a través de su presencia física en el deporte, el mismo acto de reclamar espacio en un ambiente tradicionalmente excluyente. La exhibición nos invita a considerar cómo existimos dentro de los parámetros de las normas socialmente construidas y quiénes son aquellos que permanecen fuera de ellas.
Stop 2: All these things and still I cannot be protected, so I hold on tight with my limpest wrist
English
Hi, I’m José Villalobos, and this is my solo show.
The equipment I selected for this installation consists primarily of protective gear, which I chose for its blend of functionality and ornate design. My intention was to explore the tension between the flashy, flamboyant nature of these objects and their practical role in offering protection. Many of these pieces, which didn’t come into widespread use until the 1990s, embody a kind of paradox—embodying both a façade of toughness and the inherent vulnerability they seek to shield. To emphasize this contrast, I plan to alter the gear with bold text and vibrant paint, turning it into a statement of excess and spectacle. In doing so, I want to highlight the dichotomy between the rough exterior these objects project and the underlying necessity of protection.
Español
Hola, soy José Villalobos, y esta es mi exhibición individual.
El equipo que seleccioné para esta instalación consiste principalmente en equipo de protección, que elegí por su combinación de funcionalidad y diseño ornamental. Mi intención era explorar la tensión entre la naturaleza llamativa y extravagante de estos objetos y su rol práctico de ofrecer protección. Muchas de estas piezas, que no se comenzaron a usar ampliamente hasta la década de 1990, encarnan una especie de paradoja: representan tanto una fachada de dureza como la vulnerabilidad inherente que buscan proteger. Para enfatizar este contraste, planeo alterar el equipo con un texto atrevido y pintura vibrante, transformándolo en una declaración de exceso y espectáculo. Al hacerlo, quiero resaltar la dicotomía entre el exterior rudo que proyectan estos objetos y la necesidad subyacente de protección.
Stop 3: Rough Rider
English
José Villalobos speaks about the two-channel video as part of his installation “Rough Rider.”
As part of this installation, I am showing pre-recorded footage of my bull riding sessions. The focus is not just on the act itself, but on the process of learning and the way I insert myself into a space that is historically white-dominated and often homophobic. It’s about challenging and disrupting these entrenched systems in any way possible—whether through my presence, my performance, or the very act of claiming space in a traditionally exclusive environment.
Español
José Villalobos habla sobre el video de dos canales como parte de su instalación “Jinete rudo”.
Como parte de esta instalación, estoy mostrando grabaciones pregrabadas de mis sesiones de monta de toros. El enfoque no está solo en el acto en sí, sino en el proceso de aprendizaje y en la forma en que me inserto en un espacio históricamente dominado por personas blancas y, a menudo, homofóbico. Se trata de desafiar y trastocar estos sistemas arraigados de cualquier manera posible, ya sea a través de mi presencia, mi performance o el mismo acto de reclamar espacio en un entorno tradicionalmente excluyente.
José Villalobos (United States, b. 1988), “Steer the Queer,” 2024. Chromogenic print, 60 x 40 in. (152.4 x 101.6 cm). Courtesy of the artist and Liliana Bloch Gallery
