About Marcelo Mendez
My name is Marcelo C. Méndez. Born in Cuba and raised in Miami after my parents immigrated to the US, my upbringing instilled in me a blend of cultural influences that have profoundly shaped my perspective. I have a degree in architecture with a complementary focus on theatrical set design, reflecting my early fascination with architectural history and fairy tales—a unique combination that ignited my passion for storytelling.
Growing up, I vividly recall the contrast between the Russian fairy tales I watched on Cuban television and their absence in the US media landscape. This disparity sparked a curiosity about cultural nuances and a relentless quest to preserve cherished childhood memories.
As a trained architect, I enjoy drawing. When I draw, I utilize a concept known as a "Parti" to envision the place or object and understand its spatial requirements. The Parti serves as a foundational sketch, akin to a diagram representing details, floor plans, elevations, or perspectives. It captures and conveys the core concept or essence of a thought in its purest form. These initial sketches function as illustrations that narrate the story of the design—articulating its fundamental idea, principal objectives, and potential assembly. Over time, these sketches can be refined and embellished into comprehensive construction documents.
My drawings often serve as integral components of a larger storyboard, meticulously laid out across numerous pages to encapsulate the entirety of the design. This approach mirrors the storytelling techniques found in cinema or literature, where each illustration represents a scene in the narrative. Whether infused with technical considerations or not, both architecture and storytelling exert a profound influence on the language of my art.
In my creative process, I employ various tools, including pencils on tracing paper, computer sketch software, and AutoCAD—an indispensable tool in architectural construction. AutoCAD, with its unique language, facilitates the communication and translation of ideas onto paper. My extensive experience with the software, spanning over 25 years, has fundamentally shaped my perception of space and design thinking.
The advent of unexpected circumstances, such as the Covid pandemic in 2020, prompted me to explore unconventional artistic avenues. Amidst the confines of lockdowns, I pushed the boundaries of traditional tools and software, testing their capabilities. This exploration was a convergence of two factors: the lull between architectural projects and the desire to remain creatively engaged. The resulting artworks, often printed in large formats resembling high-quality Giclée prints, aim to evoke a whimsical connection to specific spaces or objects—bridging the realms of reality and imagination.