The Cinematic Genesis of the Mel Casas Humanscape, 1965–1967

Abstract

The 153 paintings that San Antonio–based artist Mel Casas calls Humanscapes were inspired by a glimpse of a drive-in movie screen. This article treats the first three years of work on this series, a period in which the artist referenced cinematic settings and audiences while registering aspects of the sexual revolution. Marshall McLuhan’s Mechanical Bride (1951) deeply influenced the analysis of media imagery and technology that is evident in these paintings. In addition to contemporary cultural influences, the early phase of the Humanscape series also drew on the same artistic influences, namely surrealism and Dada, that shaped the work of other pop artists. By the end of 1967, Casas included parts of signs within his paintings. These signs led to freestanding, independent texts that doubled as subtitles. By juxtaposing punning texts and images, Casas broke from the explicit cinematic setting. Interviews with Casas and statements by the artist assist in discerning the inner logic of this remarkable series.