Mateo Fuentes

About Mateo Fuentes

I use my passion for printmaking to explore themes of horror, classic monsters, and villains who have lost their bite as time marched forward, reinventing their genres and leaving them to decay. By repackaging and re-purposing these classic horror icons I hope to capture the beauty of their prime. In this, the viewer may find charm, disgust, humor, or even nostalgia. We all know the feeling of standing on the outside looking in. These creatures exist solely on the outside and have had their identities forged in those cold, dark spaces. By recreating them in bright color palettes I seek to re-frame their worlds in a new light. This subversion gives the viewer another way to respond to these old narratives, to see something more than just horrific, frightening, or worst of all, forgotten monsters.

Biography

I am a Printmaker from Morgantown, West Virginia. As a child, I was captivated by classic horror films and 80s action and sci-fi. Many of the themes from these early influences now resonate throughout my work. As an adult, I discovered printmaking, found a focus in collagraph, silkscreen, and relief work, and obtained a B.F.A with a concentration in Printmaking from West Virginia University.