Mariposa by Cesar Forero
This project begins by recalling the word “Mariposa” (“Butterfly”), which in Colombian culture is used dismissively to insult a man who has feminine mannerisms. By using this word, the intention is to humiliate the recipient as if it were an act of lowering their social status. The perpetrator’s goal is to imply that having a certain mannerism is a reason to insinuate that this person is less welcome or deserves mistreatment because of a personality trait.
I have created a series of artworks depicting the different facets of evolution from caterpillar to butterfly. I have also created a butterfly costume with the intention of weakening this aggressive verbal act and social discrimination. I think the word, when referring to a lepidopteran, actually loses all its weight. The lepidopteran phase of some insects refers to the stage when these beings are most showy and colourful, with large, striking wings. It also reflects the success of a great metamorphic process and the adult phase that not all manage to reach. CF
Antigua, Muros de Arte by Michelle Letarte
A recent trip to Guatemala involved three days in La Antigua, the capital of the Kingdom of Guatemala. Totally enthralled by the arty and complex history beyond the ancient façades, I took hundreds of photos while walking the streets of Antigua and viewing as many nunneries, cathedrals, monasteries, schools, and colourful houses as possible. Selected photos were transferred to board and to recycled textured canvases to recreate the effects of aged walls and tell their stories. After painfully removing the paper layers and leaving behind the ink imprint, acrylic paint was applied to strengthen the vibrant and true colours of walls and facades of La Antigua. Other images were directly collaged and highlighted with vivid acrylic. All the artworks bear the name of their original location and wish to convey to viewers the amazing history and hidden emotions rendered by the ancient walls of La Antigua. ML
