The National Institute of Flamenco asked me to be their Festival artist for a second year in a row! It was an honor, as well as a challenge, to create a piece for their upcoming 35th Annual International Flamenco Festival: a challenge because there are many key elements of Flamenco that I wanted to convey: tonality, compás, the performer, and flamencura; toque, el canto, el baile; hand-clapping, foot-stomping, fans flickering; Andalusia España origins, the gitanes connection; as well as the thriving of Flamenco abroad— especially in New Mexico. Above all, I wanted to convey Flamenco’s innate Passion, Pathos, Ferocity, & Beauty. The beating, fiery heart of flamenco is that which I seek to embody in all of my portraiture: the strength, fearlessness, & resilience of the Human Spirit: Arte y Alma.
With my use of recycled materials, I was able to reference the above elements in both works: Our Lady of Guadalupe embodies the Feminine strength and grace inherent in Flamenco; Mexican Lotería cards of El Músico y las manos allude to the Flamenco guitarist & the hand clapping, as well as the Spanish Language ; a torn bullfighting poster also references the Spanish cultural heritage— as does votive candle packaging; a scrap of trash that proclaims “Tide: Power” references Flamenco’s powerful nature on both physical & emotional levels; Kung fu playing cards and Lucha Va Voom Melrose Avenue dance club flyers speak to La Lucha- the struggle— inherent in Flamenco; packets of red hot New Mexican red Chile are both a nod to New Mexico— and to the fiesty, sexy, smoking hot dimension of Flamenco!
