Viva
Paredes' visually stunning artwork immediately captures one's eye. Her
contemporary sculptures created from glass, bronze and other sources are
brought to life with an infusion of organic materials. It is the organic matter
that situates Viva's artwork in the realm of alchemy. This is appropriate as
her grandmother was a curandera, a healer who used indigenous herbs to cure
ailments of the body and soul. Viva continues her grandmother's tradition of
healing by creating artwork that explores the sacred space of ancestral memory,
culture, and linguistic history.
Beyond
the form and beauty of her objects, what holds our attention and burns the
image into memory is how Viva's work emanates from her personal experiences as
a Chicana and connects those experiences to a larger societal history. It is
here, that she is sculptor of spaces and emotions that reclaim lost stories and
honor the present struggles. Indigenous cultural forms, such as the molcajete (grinding
stone), are reoccurring motifs in her work, but they are transformed beyond
their original utilitarian usage. This transformation occurs by layering, by
creating multiple objects that speak of the history of labor and the work of
women, both past and present.
Densely
scented fragrances fill her vessels and the texture of organic matter
intertwined with the hard matter creates additional layers imbued with meaning
from cultural connections. It is here, that the primordial meets the
contemporary. It is here, beyond form and beauty, that the art of Viva Paredes
lingers in our memory and heals our soul.
Anjee
Helstrup-Alvarez
Associate
Director & Curator
MACLA/Movimiento
de Arte y Cultura Latino Americana