Cruz Ortiz: El Johnny the Satellite, 2017
CRUZ ORTIZ ON WHEELS
San Antonio-based artist Cruz Ortiz created EL JOHNNY THE SATELLITE, an itinerant two-seater bicycle built from bicycle scraps and boom boxes that functioned as a mobile screen printing unit. Inspired by dekochari bike culture in Japan, scraper bikes from Oakland, CA, and the interstellar space industry of Ortiz’ hometown of Houston, TX, EL JOHNNY THE SATELLITE printed out silk-screened posters at each site-specific landing while playing mixes of music and recordings over loud speakers. At each site, the screen printed posters included community-sourced images and text from that specific neighborhood.
Ortiz writes: “Understanding the missionary position of SANTA BARBARA, it seemed only fit to create an object that reflects the cultures that define this landscape. This specific landscape includes the tribal lands of the Chumash, Spanish Colonial interjections, as well as super fancypants Hollywood star sightings. Realizing all of these components as an epicenter of extreme mixing, I realized that it would be interesting to create a multi-site specific mobile machine that produces images, texts, and sound as it was on a mission. A mission that was meant to introduce and connect communities. This satellite is not about discovery, it is more about the opportunity to attempt in communicating basic human expressions. It was very apparent during my site visit to Santa Barbara that there was a lack of exchange between groups dwelling in this super cute coastal city, it is my intent to help bring focus on the importance of exchange.”
