Buena Broma, 2021
Buena Broma is an exploration of the foundation of fear in Mexican culture. This exhibition depicts a specific memory from a childhood experience. It investigates recreating, reappropriating, and most importantly, redefining and processing a night of fear. My dad pulled a prank on me, and I was convinced the devil himself showed up to end my life.
I am happy it happened, I've learned that what my dad did was a kind gesture, although unintentional. When it happened, I flashed my own life before my eyes, visualizing what I was seemingly about to lose. In retrospect, I gained the ability to visualize, a tool with boundless utility, especially as an artist.
What he did was inherently artistic. He intended to get a lighthearted reaction, and there is no blame on him for that. It is a common occurrence in Mexican culture to pull these acts. What is the difference between a prank and a joke? Definitively, "broma" in Spanish is used interchangeably when referring to both. So, when does that distinction come into play?
Materials: Cedar, Chile de Arbol, Acrylic paint, fabric, steel, mineral oil, and found objects
Dimensions variable
Documentation by Sterling Allen and Madelynn Mesa
I am happy it happened, I've learned that what my dad did was a kind gesture, although unintentional. When it happened, I flashed my own life before my eyes, visualizing what I was seemingly about to lose. In retrospect, I gained the ability to visualize, a tool with boundless utility, especially as an artist.
What he did was inherently artistic. He intended to get a lighthearted reaction, and there is no blame on him for that. It is a common occurrence in Mexican culture to pull these acts. What is the difference between a prank and a joke? Definitively, "broma" in Spanish is used interchangeably when referring to both. So, when does that distinction come into play?
Materials: Cedar, Chile de Arbol, Acrylic paint, fabric, steel, mineral oil, and found objects
Dimensions variable
Documentation by Sterling Allen and Madelynn Mesa