He couldn’t stand the sight of his own paunch anymore. It was the fleshy opposite of his marble ideal. As incongruous as the infinity pool staring out onto the Pacific ocean; polished concrete edges keeping at bay the wild salty water. His thoughts wandered, over an icy piña colada, to prospects of deep dark liquids, vapours, and minerals. Millennial accumulations to be sucked and regurgitated, bartered for and traded, used as political leverage. He anticipated the resort’s weekly ball that night, Maya themed; white tails, cocktails, luxurious gowns, pearls on withered necks, tangled negotiations. His swimming shorts bulged. A quick wipe of the brow with the courtesy white towel, glancing after at the golden embroidered lettering.
América Tropical.
América Tropical, a two-person exhibition with Patricia Valencia, curated by Salomón Huerta at PØST, LA, 2013.
Consisting of a wall-based text, sculpture, video and film. To view the video América Tropical see: http://vimeo.com/76103317
Taking its title from the censored, but recently restored David Alfaro Siqueiros’ mural of 1932, overlooking Olvera Street in Downtown LA, América Tropical draws out notations on appropriated cultural heritage, the slippage between nostalgic scenery and incendiary political protest, and the crumbling edifice of colonial architecture.
