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Dubhe Carreño Gallery Contemporary Ceramic Art |
Mariana Monteagudo
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Artist’s Statement
I aim to create a race of hybrid characters that represent combinations of different cultural manifestations, from the ancestral and mysterious to the most current and derivative of mass popular culture. The visual aspect of the figures is ambiguous, due to the interaction between factors that simultaneously produce apprehension and pleasure. I investigate a range of cultural references, from indigenous rituals related to death, fertility and festivities inherent to many parts of the world, juxtaposed with cultural references having to do with current popular culture influenced by the media, fashion, technology, etc. I also want my pieces to offer duality present in the mix of elements that concurrently generate unrest and tenderness. My purpose in mixing all these elements is to create a disconcerting image difficult to classify and always present in a liminal space, not tender or terrible, not ancient or contemporary. The idea is that the viewer would be able to construct a sort of mental collage of associations derived from distinct territories and that he or she could feel familiar to as well as estranged by these images. |