Slow & Steady Wins the Race
Muralist El Federico Begins a New Chapter
Words by Jessi Devenyns photos by Eric Morales
Life has a way of taking a left hand turn when you’re looking right. And when Federico Archuleta hit the Austin street art scene in the early 2000s, it was because CDs had fallen out of fashion in favor of digital sound files, and Tower Records had shut its doors leaving him, a graphic designer, out of work and full of ideas.
“I got bored,” he says. “I was like I’ve got to do something with my time, and I started making large-scale stencils.” Those large-scale stencils were also complemented by larger-than-life subjects.
Some of his first pieces of public art appeared on the Drag and include portraits of Johnny Cash and Willie Nelson. Not long thereafter though, Federico migrated to the Eastside of town, and it was on these streets that he began to stamp his name on walls with his instantly recognizable style of Tex Mex spray can and folk art. Among his most iconic images are La Virgen, which is a rendition of the classic Madonna figure and ’Til Death Do Us Part, a mural that evokes the spirit of El Día de los Muertos with a nod to partnerships of all kinds. Federico regularly changes the genders of his skulls when reproducing the work.
In recent years, Federico’s motifs have begun to feel like classic Austin rather than avant-garde culture. That is on purpose. As a long-time street artist who has been building his reputation and style for nearly two decades, Federico shares that he feels it is now part of his duty to carry the torch for Austin’s history as newcomers arrive in the city. “It feels like a bit of a fight, but at the same time, what can you do? Change is inevitable.”
Change might be inevitable, but it is something that he has chosen to blend into his work. Keeping the past alive as a historical record is a colorful and whimsical occupation for Federico. It is also becoming a taxing one.
Following the tale of a memory where he tripped over a can of paint, Federico reveals, “I have been diagnosed with Parkinson’s, and I’ve had it for about a year and a half.” This neurological disease has a lagging onset and has only recently become a concern in his work as it has slowed his output, which prompted him to offer an explanation. “It’s something that I’ve kept to myself, but I feel that now it’s high time that I let the public know.” He discloses because he knows it will eventually change the process of how he works.
Even with a new reality full of questions and uncertainties facing him, Federico maintains that he has no intention of forgoing his art. Of course, he says that safety will always be a priority. “If I ever reach a point in which I feel that I cannot climb ladders or scaffolding, believe me, I will stop on my own account,” he remarks.
As it stands, Federico still hits the ground running every day. From juggling multiple mural projects while taking on commissions and planning his exhibition at 2019 East Austin Studio Tour, there is no doubt that his work is as popular and in-demand as ever, something he admits he’s incredibly thankful for during this stressful year. Although his diagnosis forced him to hit the brakes and take stock of his surroundings, it has done little to dim his passion to create.
“It might take me longer to finish a project, but Lord knows I’ll get it done, and it will still be a good quality piece,” he insists.
EAST
Federico and his father will be hosting a father-son show at this year’s East Austin Studio Tour. The location is not yet public, but it will be revealed in the tour guide book soon.
Contact:
@el_federico
federicoarchuleta@gmail.com
