Curatorial Rationale

My theme came about through my personal experiences with toxic relationships and inspiration to make art from emotions related to entrapment, toxicity, and lack of freedom. There is also a connection to overcoming entrapment and illustrating the aftermath of emotions coming from a place of toxicity. Related to this, I explore concepts and ideas of loneliness and finding oneself through personal hardships and experiences.

I was inspired by layering and photography because they are outlets of expression through a direct image that could be modified through Photoshop, which is where I implemented layering. I often employ the use of layering in digitally manipulated photomontages. Layering provides a double meaning and involves analyzing artworks closely. For example, in Clean Slate and Overwhelmed layering provides the feeling of entrapment by masking one photo behind another and creating an effect of suffocation. Certain colors such as, blue, gray, and dull tones provide feelings of entrapment and loneliness. In Clean Slate, there are hues of blue that show emotions of entrapment to freedom. In Marchita, the dead rose is emphasized by the white curtain, therefore letting the audience pay attention to detail in the rose. The dead rose adds to toxicity as a theme, since the redness of the rose has been toned down. These explorations allow the viewer to have a visual experience of what it means to have hope in a toxic environment.

The materials I chose in the photographs highlight the artwork’s theme because they were specifically chosen for the theme of entrapment and toxicity by using materials that represent this. In Shattered, the egg being crushed represents the toxicity in a relationship, since a toxic relationship creates this feeling. I chose my specific artworks because they came together in terms of the medium and concept I used since they all involved photography, and some included layering. The concept was also similar due to the fact that all my artworks shared the same message of toxicity, entrapment, and finding freedom.

The artworks relate to one another in different ways and when hung up there is unity and balance since artworks that are most aesthetically similar are put together, while also moving from suffocation to hope in terms of theme. I chose to hang up my artworks in patterns of color and medium; for example, the artworks involving layering are together, and the artworks that do not include layering are side by side. For example, Entrapment was inspired by a toxic relationship and feeling crushed, suffocated, and not being able to escape toxicity in a relationship. The implementation of black and white helps to create a dull and lonely effect that adds to this message. The way that one artwork led to another was that as soon as I finished making one artwork, the next artwork was planned while still in the process of the first artwork since I was inspired by elements that I couldn’t include in the original artwork anymore, so I implemented that to each next artwork. For example, when I was working on Clean Slate, there were more qualities of positivity and overcoming toxicity, and this inspired me to create a similar artwork with layered photographs to show a place of not being close to a clean slate. In Overwhelmed there were more dull tones of pink and the layering showed what the title described. This showed the sense of being overwhelmed by illustrating everything together when it is not supposed to be together and the pink tones play into that since these tones are usually associated with heat, which can be suffocating. The audience will be able to follow a story based on how the artworks move from entrapment to a new beginning, and it is visually seen through the exhibition arrangement.

With the space given for the artworks, they are arranged to tell a story that the audience can understand coming from a place of toxicity within oneself and other relationships, to landing in a healthy place in life of having a good relationship with oneself and others. As the viewer moves from one piece to the next across left to right, the exhibition shows an evolution and a timeline of toxicity to a better place.

Contact the artist at rdorozco02@gmail.com