Embedded Files
Curatorial Rationale
As a young Latina daughter, I was raised to live up to many expectations. These expectations were set in place by my parents through their idea of success or by my older sister through her journey of reaching those other goals. I recall multiple nights where I stayed up worrying about whether I was ever going to be able to accomplish those goals or not. My artwork conveys the struggles and the pressure of living up to those expectations. I explored the battle of my identity as I reflected on the important factors, which were being a daughter, my gender, and my race.
Since Covetous is an artwork that shows a turning point in finding my identity as I struggled with expectations and is physically the largest artwork, I stylistically decided that I would place it in the center as emphasis to the whole exhibition. I want viewers to become overwhelmed with its size and the dark vines in Covetous leading them to become intrigued in the struggles that caused this emotion of envy. My different struggles, which will be the other seven artworks, will be surrounding it. My struggles will surround Covetous because they are what influenced the feelings it portrays. I want the viewers to experience the pressure the situations of the other artworks have had on me and my feelings.
Exploring flaws and the idea of imperfection is my artwork Queen Midas. It is inspired by Carol Ann Duffy’s poem, Mrs. Midas, which describes how the golden touch was a curse instead of a wish granted. Gold is usually associated with being perfection, and I had felt as if trying to be perfect was just as suffocating to me as the golden touch curse was to King Midas. This brings in another factor/challenge that changed my way of thinking, as I was draining myself to be perfect the way Layers demonstrates. Family Portrait also shows the strive for perfection in my family. These artworks were placed together because they allow the viewer to experience the constant struggle of trying to overcome the impossible task of perfection.
La Pelea and Unmask both explore the struggles of being a hispanic women and trying to stand up to the norms of being society’s “inferior gender”. La Pelea explores this through my sister and I being compared to animals, however, this is showing a dominant side to women as we are portrayed as strong through the image of us fighting. In Unmask the concept of women masculinity is portrayed through the lucha mask. Both artworks also explore my cultural identity as a hispanic woman because of the ‘gallo fights’ and the lucha mask. This exploration allows the viewer to experience the challenges of my identity as a Hispanic woman.
Layers and Trophy also explore the struggle of the expectations of the people around me. Layers explores the battle of keeping up with all I have accomplished and Trophy explores the idea of having to compete with myself to accomplish these expectations. Covetous is a turning point in my artworks as it shows my emotions as I compete with myself and with my sister to accomplish expectations from my family; and how I use those emotions to only make myself stronger. Most of my artworks surround situations in which create a burden or conflict in my identity, Covetous is different since it shows what I truly felt during all of these situations.
I want the audience to feel overwhelmed as they walk up closer to the enormous piece in my exhibition, Covetous, which will be centered in the middle. Around the piece, my other artworks will surround it as they are what led to the emotion shown in the charcoal piece. It will begin with subtle challenges that caused frustration such as La Pelea and Unmask then it will lead to more challenges that really impacted my identity and made me question who I really was as a person such as Layers and Trophy. The goal of my exhibition is to have the viewer come to an understanding of how I feel about trying to be perfect which comes in display through the arrangement of all the artworks.
Family Portrait
Family Portrait
Acrylic paint on canvas
18 x 24
The family portrait shows my picture of my perfect family dressed in white to symbolize how pure my family is. Gold is layered onto us to symbolize perfection and our prosperity. However, every family has flaws which can be portrayed through our lacking features and how they’re being covered up with the gold. The portrait is an example of what is expected from each of us in the family, which is to prosper. This is an expectation created that has caused struggle.
Not Available
Layers
Layers
Contemporary makeup photograph
30 x 20 inches
Many of us tend to do the things we love to do because it makes us happy, however sometimes we are pressured to be the best at those things and it can lead to our own downfall. The colors layered onto my face represent the things I do that make me happy, hence explaining the brightness of the colors. The layers of paint are cracking and look plastered on top of each other because of the constant worry and pressure to keep up with the things that are supposed to make me happy.
Available, minimum bid $10
Queen Midas
Queen Midas
Digital print
30 x 20 inches
Like in Carol Ann Duffy’s poem, Mrs.Midas, the golden touch is perceived as a curse instead of a wish granted. Gold is usually aligned with the idea of perfection which inspired me to show how the struggle of perfection. The photograph portrays myself covered in gold, representing the suffocation that being perfect is. I feel the constant need to be perfect in order to prove myself to those around me, although it is suffocating me.
Available, minimum bid $10
Covetous
Covetous
Charcoal and graphite on canvas
6x9 feet
Envy is something I have dealt with as a middle child. Envious of my younger sister’s attention and the achievements my older sister made.The vines drawn in charcoal intentionally catch the attention of the viewer, taking a step closer they see my portrait hidden, drawn with graphite. The portrait shows how I feel engulfed with the emotion of envy, which are the vines. I use it to create determination for my goals. I was able to overcome a flaw and empower myself into becoming better.
Not Available
Trophy
Trophy
Acrylic paint on canvas
16 x 20
The way animals are hung up by humans like a prized possession when they are hunted, is similar to how I feel as I am constantly competing with my older sister to be appreciated by my family. The head hung up on the wall is mine as I am a trophy that is hung the way the deer is next to me. I wanted to show how pressuring it can be and how everyone only really cares about the trophy that they won but not about how they’re hurting animals or themselves through it.
Not Available
Unmask
Unmask
Acrylic paint on wood
12 x 12
My artwork shows a woman wearing a Lucha mask, which is considered to be very masculine. There are hands trying to rip away the mask which according to luchadores is a sign of disrespect. The hands are the paternal role disrespecting the new masculine female and trying to rip that power away from her. I decided to have a lucha mask because no one knows who is under the mask showing how questionable this female’s identity is.
Not Available
La Pelea
La Pelea
Acrylic paint on wood
12 x 16
When my sister and I fight, my father always screams, “Gallos, ya calmense” which means “roosters, calm down” In his hometown, Gallo fights are common. The fights are male dominated and the roosters are seen as wild animals who are fighting for their lives; seeming ruthless. The painting shows my sister and I in a fight and roosters are painting in the background since we are being compared to the animals. I wanted to empower women but at the same time show how we can be the oppressed gender.
Not Available
Mime
Mime
Acrylic paint on glass
6 x 8
During a fight with my sister, she did not fail to tell me that I only copy all of her accomplishments. This made me feel as if I was a mime, mirroring what my sister has done since it is an expectation for me. This painting was created on glass to portray the imaginary box mimes are usually trapped in. The painting shows my hand trying to break through the glass, which explains the cracks. I am trying to break through from the expectations my sister has created as I want to be my own person.
Not Available
Contact the artist at mgongora1901@gmail.com
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