Mixed Media Installation incorporating collaged paintings, news articles, and images found on the web.
2016
This work aims to explore the space in the human psyche between blind faith and personal agency. From the Paleolithic Venus of Willendorf to the Greek Mother Earth Gaia, from Ixchel, the ancient Mayan goddess of childbirth and war, to the Virgin Mary, humans have found comfort in the idea of female deities protecting and assisting them in navigating the grim realities of earthly life.
Modern humans deal with constant assaults on their sense of well-being and safety. With each passing day, our world seems to be spinning more and more out of control. Faith has been replaced by technology and, while it may lull us into a false sense of contentment, most of us realize we live one step away from the abyss we have created: violence, pollution, disease, natural disasters, just to name a few, affecting not just humans but all organisms in our planet.
The succor that was found in sympathetic deities may no longer be within our grasp. Is there still the possibility of finding comfort and solace in our world? Who can we ask to assist us? What are we willing to invest to achieve it? Can humans be relied upon to help one another? Our communities? Our planet?
With deepest gratitude to Gabrielle Scharaga, Melina Alexa Ramirez, Lyn Judd, and Jose Loyola, for their kind assistance with this project.