raul j mendez
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Surveillances & Orthogonals 
@ SUMgallery, Portland, OR 
Spring 2017


TSFPLTMT presents: draft of a landscape, IRVING PARK VERTICAL. 
as installed at Surplus Space, Portland,OR. Spring 2014



New Work Miami, 2010. (miami art museum)

My short film/video "L'etranger" was exhibited as part of  Miami Art Museum's New Work Miami, 2010. 
The videos exhibited were projected in different venues around the city, including the Miami Arena (below)

Publication Projects

-The Samizdat was a "zine" executed for a Miami Dade Public Library's exhibit. It featured multiple contemporary artists/voices from different regions of the US, reacting  my request that they respond to the Kafka quote "There is Hope But Not For Us."
-Florida Arcane catalog (right) was executed as part of the exhibit "Florida Arcane" for the Miami Dade Public Library. see for more info.x

The Failure of Knowing, 2006, Ambrosino Gallery



(NEGATIVE SPACE) 2020 Projects, Miami, FL, 2008


This Is Nowhere The Hollywood Art&Culture Center 2008/9



TSFPLTMT Presents: FLORIDA ARCANE

Solomon Graves (above) interviewed by local media regarding FLORIDA ARCANE. 
This interview aired on PBS (WLRN) in mid 2010. 
florida_arcane_tsfpltmtcatalog_smaller.pdf
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68 page full color catalog for FLORIDA ARCANE. Catalogs still available. write to TSFPLTMT@ATT.NET for details.


INSTRUCTIONS:

There is Hope, But Not for Us. (cake drop 1) 2011

***Instructions for installing***
1. The cake should be made with white frosting. The cursive lettering color should be red. Colored sprinkles should be added liberally but not excessively. 
     Candles should be added to the cake and lit before it is dropped. If possible ( i dont know if this exists) long-lasting candles should be used.
2. Light the candles before dropping the cake for extra dramatic effect.(your option)
3. The cake should be dropped as flatly as possibly so that its splatter is as contained as possible. However, the effect must not look overly contrived. The height from which it is dropped should be similar to the  height from which a cake is carried to a table or its recipient.
4. If the lettering is no longer legible once the cake has been dropped, red frosting (comes in a tube) should be used to touch-up or fix it. The writing must be legible post drop.
5. Re-adjust the candles so they are vertical. Light the candles during the evening (and replace as often as you like). Document the piece with candles lit.
6. Once the cake has been dropped and lettering retouched , etc, the lamp must be hung. It should be placed so that it hangs directly centered with the cake. The lamp should hang about 3 to 4 feet above the cake. This height is an estimate and your judgement w/r/t the surroundings is crucial. 

7. The orange extension cord should make an angle from the point it contacts the ceiling to where it is plugged in. I realize this may not be possible due to the realities of the space, but this is the preferred arrangement.
8. Use all the extension cords provided. Any excess cord should lay in a coil beside where the plug inserts into the wall.
9. Document. Please document from multiple angles, close ups(lettering visible), and long shots.
10. One more thing....test the lightbulb to make sure it's working before the show opens....
*** the order can be varied.
A short  list of materials from the grocery store:
1. Red frosting in a tube (match as closely as possible to cake, but exact is not necessary)
2. Long burning candles.(or regular. ) Black candles are preferred.
3. the largest cake possible w/r/t the allotted budget.


Pets Never Forget (or a method for communicating with dead pets) 2020 Projects,Miami, 2009



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solipsism (or what we have in common), mannequin hand on up & down moving mechanism, Eagerwally Gallery, Portland, OR, 2002


Some Proposals:

PerformancePieceProposal1_sans from raul j mendez on Vimeo.

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An in situ rendering of the works as imagined in the PNCA Swigert Commons offers two options for installing the work. The scale used for the rendering is a bit exaggerated. The piece can be adapted to fit any of the walls in the space. It is easy to modify on any axis
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Sketches for a piece submitted to and rejected by LOCUST PROJECTS in Miami (circa 2005) which later developed further and became "This is Nowhere",actualized at the Hollywood Art&Culture Center in late 2009.
Installation/Performance piece submitted to Dimensions Variable, Miami, FL. 2011



The Failure of Knowing (with Ed King). Portland Building, Portland, OR. 2001


Older Site Specific Works:

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"The Relatives of Who and What" 20' x 12 ' a collaborative mural with Ed C.H. King executed at PDX airport with funds and support from RACC (regional arts & culture council.) 2002.
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El Burro Sabe Mas Que Tu. executed with Ed King on occasion of Joe Biel & Richard Kraft's exhibition at Mark Wooley Gallery. Circa 1999/2000