Pacha Mama
How do you capture experience? The want to capture life or at least aspects of the worlds in which we live drives the work I create. From this practice, I document moments of harmony as well as pain and confusion. My undergraduate paintings draw significant stylistic inspiration from the work of naive (a native style of art) artists in Guatemala. The paintings seek to understand what it means to be a bicultural person growing up in the United States. They try to signal to parts of my own life to let them know they’re documented, written down, cataloged, and told.
Pacha Mama is modeled after the Barriletes created in Sumpango, Guatemala as a part of the ritual of the Day of the Dead. This type of kite is native to Guatemala. It is significant in the way it’s used to communicate with ancestors or loved ones who have passed. When it flies, it brings our messages, thoughts towards them.
Pacha Mama, 2020, Tissue Paper, Bamboo and Elmer’s Glue, 96”x 96” (Kite Diameter) —— Image inspiration from Mother Earth – Pachamama Pastel by Mamani Mamani
How To Build a Kite
This is footage from the 25th of April 2020 when we took Pacha Mama to a field near our house to be flown. Many of our neighbors came to see the kite and have long-awaited social interactions. The experience held even more meaning because of the fact people were able to be outside and around each other (6ft apart, of course) on a beautiful day.
There are three voices you will hear throughout the video. Most of the audio comes from a car ride I had with my father, Reginaldo, and my Tío René, who were trying to explain to me what it means to build a kite. This took place before the adventure started in the physical world, during a time when this barrilete was simply something I was thinking and wanting to create. (P.S. This video is hosted on YouTube so that is why it might recommend another video for you after this one ends)
