Inescapable Histories

To the overwhelming task of creating an art for social change that is both art and social in the strongest senses, Mel Chin brings a panoply of talents. This book presents a body of Chin's work, selected to provide insight into his research and working methods. It focuses on drawings, multiples, maquettes, and small sculptures he has created in the last 20 years, offering an intimate look at some of the smaller works and developmental sketches for large works.Born in Houston of parents who emigrated from China, Chin's early childhood was spent in African American and Latino neighborhoods while he absorbed Chinese philosophy and culture at home. His multicultural upbringing and expansive world view are reflected in subjects addressed in his works that range from ancient cosmology and mythology to contemporary international violations of human rights and scientific experiments in the reclamation of the industrial wasteland.