An Artistic Conversation with Frank Rose
Photo courtesy of Frank Rose
Frank Rose is the Creative Conductor at the Hecho a Mano in New Mexico. It was a pleasure to ask him questions about his process of artist selection, his beginnings in art, and how he incorporates the Tewa people into the gallery history.
UZOMAH: What are some qualities that you look for in selecting artists to be represented by the gallery?
FRANK: Choosing who to work with is a very intuitive process for me. Initially, the imagery has to move me, spark something, magnetize me. It takes me a while before I can intellectualize what it is I’m drawn to. I’m drawn to bold use of color & design, texture, and materials. It’s important that the hand is evident in the artwork. Overly refined work, while impressive, isn't as exciting to me. Concept is good and can draw me deeper, but it’s not the first thing that grabs me.
U: Even before the pandemic, art institutions and organizations have had to face the reality of how technology is changing how art is viewed. How have you adjusted to that and no more with the pandemic?
F: People view more images in a day than they had in a lifetime a couple hundred years ago. Maybe not as long. Competition for attention is stronger than ever yet our capacity to imbibe in images grows as well. I do think that technology has stretched our attention, in that we can take in more information, but the depth in which we give to the subject is shallower.
I still feel like there is no substitute for art viewed in person. It is impossible to convey the qualities of light and texture and environment through a screen, yet I know it is critical to present in that sphere. More and more people are buying work online, and it simply cannot be neglected.
I have been promoting work digitally since I began my career, and try to stay on top of all the advancements, though it can be quite exhausting.
U: What is some advice you would give artists in submitting their work to your gallery and others?
F: Do not show up at the gallery with a portfolio. Do not just email a link. Galleries are all about relationships. You want a connection. Talk to someone first and figure out what they’re about and if there’s chemistry. Ask them how they prefer to see new artists work. It’s a bit like dating. If they’re not interested, don’t take it personally and move on.
U: For some of the most popular artists in your collection what do you think draws audiences to their work? What did you select those particular artists?
F: Alberto Cruz’s work is quite popular and I think it’s because he so clearly taps into childhood imagination. It’s both innocent and revolutionary at the same time which are both things many people are resonating with right now.
U: What is a surprising fact about your gallery?
F: On a street where properties are not known for being multi-generational, the building has been in the same family for many years and was once a small neighborhood grocery store.
U: What’s your favorite art gallery to visit other than your own?
F: Ellsworth Gallery here in Santa Fe is doing a great job holding space for young artists. I love their programming.
And though not commercial galleries, I am inspired every time I visit the Museum of International Folk Art and Museum of Contemporary Native Arts here in Santa Fe.
U: How are you making your gallery relevant to those who are not New Mexican or Mexican, or Latino?
F: I think that by simply putting work on the wall I am saying, “look at this. It deserves to be seen.” The history and cultures of Mexico and the United States are deeply intertwined. The story of this land from pre-colonial times to the present is a perfect example of the imaginary nature of borders, which I think everyone should be thinking about. If you come to the gallery and think that art from Mexico is irrelevant, my gallery is not the place for you.
U: How do you tie in the tradition of the Tewa people in your gallery? How important is that?
F: It comes in the form of holding space for others’ stories. It is important that the voices of those who have called this place home for millenia are heard and have a space that allows for free expression and not some romanticized idea of Native culture from an outsider.
U: How can art be used for a better understanding of the migrant movement of Latinos into the USA? How can art help in furthering the understanding of indigenous people?
F: When we are open to hearing other people's stories, to looking and listening with an open heart, we begin to recognize ourselves in them. Underneath all the rationale and justifications and identities, I believe we all want the same things. Open-hearted witnessing of art can help us connect to that core humanity we all share.
U: How did you get your start in art?
F: Photography class in high school was where I began making art with any focus. I ended up with a studio art degree in photography & digital media from the University of Houston. It was through my installation class that I first started showing other people’s work.
For our senior project, we had to find a location off-campus to present an installation. My friend Tim had a hair salon in an old house in Houston’s museum district at the time with an adjacent living room he used as a waiting area. He agreed to let me install my work there and suggested we show Kara’s (my wife, then girlfriend) work and have an opening. The exhibition somehow got picked up by the local alternative weekly newspaper and we had a couple of hundred people show up! Tim suggested we keep doing shows with other artists so we did! Thus was sparked my interest in exhibiting other artists’ work.
U: What made you want to start a gallery and one with this particular focus?
F: Stubbornness, I suppose. I was working for another gallery when I realized that if I wanted to do things my way I was going to have to start my own shop! I love juggling all the different components of big projects and a gallery certainly has plenty of that.
As for the focus, it began about 5 years ago when I first visited Oaxaca. I was blown away by the quantity and quality of printmaking happening there. When It came time to start my own project, I had already developed relationships with artists there and since there aren’t many galleries in the States showing Oaxacan printmaking, it just made sense.
For future exhibits at Hecho A Mano please visit here.
