Jeff Miranda - Graphic Artist
Jeffrey Miranda, born in 1981 on the border of El Paso and Ciudad Juárez, comes from a Mexican peasant family that migrated to the U.S. during the Bracero Program in the 1960s. Growing up as a first-generation Chicano, Miranda excelled in art and world history. He pursued Medical Illustration at Southwestern Medical School in Dallas, TX, before earning an MFA in Art and Technology from the University of Texas at Dallas. He has been a long-time art instructor in High School and later in the university and other venues like Dallas Contemporary.
My artwork reflects a critical perspective on social, political, and cultural issues along the border between El Paso and Ciudad Juárez. Being a native of the borderland region, I attempt to document current events impacting the local community, covering topics such as immigration, the labor force, and the 'drug war'. This is my way to secure some agency for my family and honor the history of my ancestors.
Through a unique graphic vocabulary, my descriptive illustrations attempt to blend cultural icons, historical references, and whimsical elements in mural-like installation studies to be realized on a larger scale much as Leonardo’s drawings projected and that of my Mexican muralist forefather mentors Orozco, Siqueiros, Rivera and later Luis Jimenez. Drawing and graphics has always been my go-to and celebrated since a young kid but pushing forward into color has added a new dimension to the dynamics of bringing them to life. My work often features a repetitive, collage-like ‘baroque’ composition that weaves together mundane and fantastical elements into visually engaging narratives. It is in the complexity of an otherwise chaotic mash up that I attempt to bring a sense of order and redemption to this multitude of challenging life situations and burden of history that is seemingly overwhelming. This is my control agent – a siren that keeps me going and gives voice to all I witness, fear and dream in an attempt to fend off the futility of where things might be going.
EDUCATION
2010 MFA, the University of Texas at Dallas (UTD), Richardson, TX.
2007-08 Medical Illustration, Southwestern Medical School in Dallas, Dallas, TX.
1999 BFA, Major in Drawing, minor in Biology, The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP), TX.
WORK EXPERIENCE
2022-Present Draftsman, a subcontractor for DFW Telecom, Sachse, TX.
2021-Present Figure Drawing Instructor at Dallas Contemporary Museum, Dallas, TX.
2012-Present Adjunct Professor, Lecturer I, teach Introduction to Drawing and Figure Drawing courses, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson
2015-2019 Adjunct Professor, Lecturer 2, taught an advanced drawing course, ‘Rendering Nature, Science, History, and Narrative’. The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson.
2006-2020 Fine Art and Science School Teacher, Allen Independent School District (AISD).
2011-2012 Museum School Faculty, El Paso Museum of Art (EPMA), El Paso, TX.
2007-2012 Illustrator Artist, A Modest Proposal (AMP), The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson.