Artist Statement

Art authors worlds and worlds are made memorable through stories. 

Whether  I am making a painting or composing music or writing, I try to imbue each thing with a story that elicits a sense of something else: a pause, a change in expectations, what’s going on here? I draw from sources that are recognizable—such as from religion or mythology—yet radiate with strangeness: narratives that can never be entirely known; disclosures that become new secrets.

The work of other artists that inspires me speaks in private languages or sings old tales in new keys. These include John Cage, John Graham,Lee Krasner, Joan Mitchell and Francis Picabia. 

Literature and music inform my approach not only to content, but to structure in visual art and vice-versa: the narratives of painting change how I think about sound and language. I shuffle rhythms and through lines as various as those of Hans Hofmann, Willem DeKooning, Miles Davis, Swans and Terry Riley.  

Bio

Frank Menchaca is a writer, musician and artist. Frank was born in New York and currently lives in Pittsburgh. His professional career revolves around sustainability in automotive and aerospace engineering with SAE International, where he is President of Sustainable Mobility Solutions. Frank has also has deep experience in publishing humanities reference, fiction, and art books.

Frank has published two books of poetry. His first, Nicolo G---- and the Days of November, was picked as one of the best books of the year by the Village Voice Literary Supplement. Frank has also published numerous critical articles, books reviews in such publications as The Boston Globe, and journal articles in informatics.

Frank holds degrees in English and Spanish literature from New York University and in English literature from Yale University and Chief Sustainability Officer certification from MIT. He has released seven albums of original music under his own name and three as part of the duo Hourloupe. He and his wife Deirdre have three sons, Gabriel, Aidan and William.