Artist Reception for "Paper Trails" and "Parts to Whole"

Bernie Diaz manipulates words and images to create assemblages that redirect and obscure origins. Incorporating historical processes of revision, omission, and embellishment, he creates glyph-like arrangements that seek completeness from fragmentation. His process involves scavenging, cutting, layering, and rearranging materials to achieve a sense of completeness from seemingly unrelated parts informed by his ongoing identity formation as a border-dwelling, queer, Tejano.

Parts to Whole is a collection of collages meticulously crafted from postage stamps. Each intricate detail plays a vital role in the larger design and is the result of hours of careful consideration. Testing the size, shape, color, and subject matter of each stamp, Katie Conley ensures harmony in every composition, often surprising viewers with her sourced material.