Here we are, nearing the end of March. Spring has sprung in my corner of the world: birds singing, green grass sprouting, and new wildflowers every day. It’s on days like this that I’m thankful we made the move to the country! To celebrate Women’s History Month I’ve been focusing on women in the arts here on the blog. You can read my previous post about Latin American women writers here. For the second half of my two-part series I’m going to highlight three relatively contemporary women artists from Latin America worth knowing about.
Ana Mendieta was a Cuban-American artist born in 1948. The site “The Art Story” has a true description of her work, stating that her art is an “ongoing dialogue between her own body and the landscape regarding presence, absence, and the inevitable cycles within nature and life.” Her work that most moves me is her “Silueta” (“Silhouette”) series.
Yolanda Andrade is a street photographer from Mexico. She juxtaposes the gritty with the glamorous, the in-your-face with the mysterious. In essence, she captures Mexico. Her photograph here, entitled “La Esquina,” is typical of her style as she shows a chaotic moment on a busy street corner that also inspires us to pause and reflect on the spiritual, as referenced by a “Last Supper” painting being carried over a man’s shoulder.
María Camila Bernal Toro goes by the artist name “Remedios.” Her choice is appropriate because it means “Remedies”, and viewing her paintings is like taking in a huge breath of fresh air. She’s originally from Colombia and now lives in Panamá. You can see how her background in graphic design informs these paintings. She’s inspired by nature and organic forms; her brilliant colors are beautiful.
Well, enjoy the rest of Women’s History Month! By the way – did any of you out there see or read reviews of the colossal “LA/LA” exhibition led by the Getty about Latin American and Latino art?
Images courtesy of: mocp.org, fotografolector.com, 365artists365days.com, curiator.com and theartstory.org.
Alison Trujillo Translations 