Public Art: Buck

Buck, 2024

By Edgar Camargo Reyes

Mexico City, Mexico

Wire, Cardboard, Paper, Engrudo, Paint

Location: On Loan to the Warrenville Public Library

In 2022, Cantigny Park, in neighboring Winfield IL, showcased Alebrijes: Creatures of a Dream World in their gardens and buildings, which featured fantastical dreamlike creatures created by several Mexican artists working in the cartoneria craft. This traditional Mexican technique is used for making objects that blend imagination, tradition, and emotion, mainly using paper and paste, also known to many as papier-mache. Alebrijes (pronounced a-luh-BREE-hay) are brightly painted pieces of Mexican folk sculpture depicting magical beings. This show recorded the highest attendance ever at Cantigny and caused a huge outpouring of interest in Alebrije art around the United States. Based on the community interest shown in this artform, Warrenville’s Tourist and Arts Commissioners worked with leaders from the Mexican Cultural Center DuPage, who represented the artist, to commission this Alebrije owl. Since this piece required a large, indoor space, an agreement was made to loan the Alebrije owl to the Warrenville Public Library, where it will be enjoyed for years to come. In honor of the owl’s new home in the Library, the artist named the owl “Buck,” after the main character in a favorite book he read as a child –The Call of the Wild by Jack London.   

Artist Edgar Camargo Reyes was born in Iztapalapa, Mexico City, home to the cartoneria craft. Edgar became interested in art at an early age and began his artistic education when he attended workshops in cultural centers. He graduated from the National Institute of Fine Arts and Literature, where he specialized in sculpture and ceramics. After 18 years practicing his style of cartoneria craft, Edgar admits he is still learning something new. As an observer of nature, he takes inspiration from animals such as insects, fish, and mammals, which inspire the shapes, colors, and textures of his craft. Edgar Camargo Reyes has also created an Alebrije cat, based on the cat in the famous Ivan Albright painting “The Picture of Dorian Gray.” The Alebrije cat is now part of the Historical Society’s collection, and can be seen there, in the building that once housed the art studio of the Albright family of artists.

Warrenville Tourism and Arts Commission 2024