Gotta Catch ‘Em All

2016

Gotta Catch ‘Em All, 2016. Michael Menchaca (American, b. 1985), Julia Samuels (American), Overpass Projects (American, 2015-). Color screenprint; image: 60.5 x 44.1 cm (23 13/16 x 17 3/8 in.); sheet: 70 x 51.9 cm (27 9/16 x 20 7/16 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of Donald and Toni Scherzer in honor of Jack and Linda Lissauer 2021.185 © Michael Menchaca Texas-based artist Michael Menchaca uses the stacked forms and flattened compositions of Mayan codices—the earliest books in Latin American culture—to comment on current social issues. This print’s title references the popular video game Pokémon but connects its emphasis on capturing with violence on the border and against Black Americans by featuring a group of uniformed men with guns drawn surrounding Mesoamerican bird-headed figures. Michael Menchaca is influenced by the aesthetic of video games; for example, the red, white, and blue round form at upper right is adopted from the Japanese gaming franchise Pokémon.