wrapped objects

In Mesoamerica the act of wrapping not only veiled objects, monuments, and individuals, but also enhanced their sacredness through their concealment. Conversely, the unwrapping of a bundled object or monument was an act of discovery. Throughout my artistic research it appears to have been metaphorically equivalent to opening a portal between cosmic realms. For those who performed these ritual acts as well as those who observed an unwrap­ping, the opening of such cosmic portals demonstrated access to cosmological structures and control of the forces holding the cosmos in balance, including that of time.

My wrapped objects collage symbols in colonial history, and traditional craft processes that speak to the amalgamation of religions and bi-cultural aesthetics within the borderland region. In performing the ritual act of wrapping, I open these cosmic portals reconstruct my identity within my art practice and relationship to place. Through these actions I reclaim my identity, decolonize my belief systems, and heal generational trauma.