I still to this day prefer the aesthetic definition of art. I seek connection, meaning, an experience outside my everyday, and a challenge to the status quo. Its quite interesting to have a conversation with a work and heighten your understanding and interpretive abilities. Retablos beg for that conversation. Retablos are small devotional folk paintings most often on tin that traditionally use iconography derived from Catholicism. They traditionally have a narrative quality, often telling a story of hardship and survival with a message of thanks to the sacred entity or saint that help them overcome it: a direct communication between people and the divine.
Lawndale Art Center is currently presenting a huge collection of contemporary retablos by Texas artists and they vary greatly in medium, style, content and purpose. As I walked around the exhibition you are begged to stop and hear the story of them, almost like a room full of interesting people waiting to be heard and discovered. They are all very accessible, using a wide variety of materials and entry points.
Some use humor, and some a combination of recognizable religious icons with a twist. This retablo by Georgia Redonet titled Yes We Can, made me chuckle as it entertained me in so many levels. Although the obvious Obama parallel is unremarkable, the coupling with the symbolism of the laughing buddha, popular folklore maintains that rubbing his belly brings wealth, good luck, and prosperity. The green background to me suggests a grounding in natural elements, while enlightenment comes from a balance of earthly gifts and divine intervention. Prosperity and environmentalism do not have to be equally exclusive. I wonder what the character below the buddha represents? Perhaps an entry point for mindful wondering or a missed opportunity to connect.
Jo Zider's Too Many Lies; So Little Taste brings together religious connotations, humor, and perhaps a touch of sexuality. Often people consider the tongue as the "strongest' muscle in the human body due to speech. It is used to communicate, nourishment and physical pleasure. Personally, I recalled horrific images of my grandmother's favorite dish at Friday night dinner's: Beef tongue. Zider's arrangement of an overcrowding number of tongues would suggest a commentary on the prevalence of dishonesty while dismissing the psychological and nutritional nourishment that properly used tongues can accomplish. Makes one think of white lies that often are told to escape awkwardness, often to complicate situations to an exponential degree. The composition is highly unique, although it did make me think about the Rolling Stones iconic tongue as well.This retablo is unmistakably a riot. Tequila is synonymous with the ultimate party drink and shot.
Teresa Rubino's Vivir la buena vida despues de (live the good life after...) leaves us with an open ended suggestion as to what we are to accomplish before we live a good life. Although my first thought was a strong message of a suggestion to seize life, it can also be inferred that careless narcissist-like partying can lead to death and a shortened life. The skeleton reaching for an empy glass and a closed full tequila bottle could also identify a missed opportunity for enjoyment as well. At any rate, the use of complimentary colors, blue and red-rust gives it a pleasing, bold and joyful appearance.This are three of hundreds of retablos worth stopping and searching for that inner dialogue. Part of their 22nd Dia de los Muertos series programs, Lawndale Art Center will have these up until November 7th. Check them out.
Lawndale Art Center
4912 Main Street
Houston, Texas 77002
713.528.5858
