Title
Creation Date
2017
Preview
Medium
oil on canvas
Description
Dimensions: 48 x 36 inches (overall)
Rights
© Danielle Francine Flores Leon Guerrero. Photo Credit: Gabrielle Krake.
Exhibit Images
Keywords
colonization, memory, truck, explosion, floral couch, yellow
Artist Statement
I am continuously conflicted when it comes to my upbringing on the Mariana island of Guam. I am conflicted because I remember the rich culture that was immersed in traditional Chamorro activities such as social gatherings like fiesta’s or Novena’s, crafts such as weaving and dancing. However, the current issues such as the struggle of identity in Chamorro people due to Guam’s colonial past and the influence of the Japanese, Spanish and American powers affect the island in many ways. For one, Chamorro’s presidential voting right is taken from them, leaving Guam US citizens no voice for choosing the leader of their country. Chamorro artist Jose Babauta painted about issues such as the rise in trash such as plastics and aluminum cans and the moving away from the traditional woven basket containers for left over foods.
These works play with both memory and time about my upbringing on Guam, a United States territory in the Pacific. They visually present a sort of bliss through the thick and thin brush strokes that surround the subjects as well as these flat bright and neutral colors. The space provides a clash of two worlds which contain flat surfaces and drawn subjects. I am continuously drawn to the work of contemporary artist Thomas Eggerer for his use of color and blissful compositions. Or Matthias Weischer for the impossible interior spaces he provides in his paintings.