Ars et Scientia
April 22–May  13, 2015

When  Northeastern commissioned El Mac to create a mural on the side of Meserve Hall,  his family’s connection to Boston made the opportunity one he couldn’t pass up. His father attended Northeastern and his parents met in the city. “The stars were in alignment. There was some cosmic signal,” he says. “I had to do it.”

El Mac, who was born in Los Angeles,  describes the mural as “an allegorical image that represents the fusion of art and science.”  His  father is represented by the lightning, his mother represented by the paintbrush, and  the  physical subject of the portrait is  his  wife.

Mac’s  paintings and  murals depict feminine beauty and honor  ordinary people in society.  Known for his distinctive pointillist style and lifelike portraiture,  he  was inspired at a young age by classic European painters and Art Nouveau symbolists. As he developed his own style, the art historical references fused with contemporary influences of graffiti along with the Chicano and Mexican culture around him.  He’s been commissioned to  create  works around the world,  including  in Belgium, South Korea, and Cuba.