I am still learning and finding my voice as an artist. Thus far, it is the actual process of making a piece, more so than medium or style, that allows me to convey my artistic vision. I tend to start with a mark, fix the "mess," thereby letting each piece take its own organic and gestural form. Very rarely do I have a clear image or plan of how I want something to look. I rely, instead, mostly on intuitive abstraction and experimentation with marks and media.

 

The relationship between line and shape is something I try to explore in all of my work. I really enjoy finding the harmony between the two in a composition, while simultaneously finding ways to accentuate their unique qualities. For that reason, charcoal is probably my most comfortable medium to work with. Charcoal lends itself to fast, expressive, malleable strokes. 

 

In this particular work, Decomposition, I was hoping to connect the natural organic flow of the charcoal with the typical, linear, contained structure of a pen mark to echo the correlation between humanity (the man made) and the environment. The finish piece is the balance I found in trying to negotiate the two aspects. My hope is to provoke the viewer to reflect on humanity's inextricable relationship with the natural world, to think about it as one big mess, constantly in a state of push-and-pull, rather than two separate and distinct things. Ideally, once people really come to understand that, they would be more thoughtful of the consequences of their actions. 

 

I have recently become more and more aware of the importance of my role as a latina artist. As a part of an underrepresented group in society, I feel a responsibility to add my voice in order to magnify the voice of the latino community. I am currently working on reinforcing my cultural identity and expressing that in my work. I don't know what form that will take but I am excited to find out.