Sergio G Villamizar
Home Sweet Home
2015
Photo Collage
Ironic as it sounds, I do not have an intense love for the arts but, I've been perfecting my skill as a jazz vocalist for many years. My girlfriend is also an upcoming artist but yet I have never inquired about either of the art galleries here on NJCU campus. However, upon first entering the gallery I was drawn to “Home Sweet Home” Sergio G. Villamizar. My first thought was, “This looks like just Jersey”. Jersey has become so industrialized. Which is unsettling considering this is a home for 8+ million people. And after hearing the name of the piece, it all made sense; the irony of what is supposed to be home but doesn’t look like nor being treated as home. The second piece that caught my attention was “The Return”. Initially I liked it because of the idea of embryo or new life, but then when I gave it a closer look, there was much more happening than new life; there was also danger surrounding the unborn baby. The piece spoke to the lack of consideration people have for themselves and helpless beings they bring into the world. The theme of both of these pieces is destruction and the cycle of destruction that isn’t being fixed, but ignored.
Villamizar's piece "Home Sweet Home" is photo shopped pictures of various places in New Jersey. Almost everything in the piece was for human consumption; food, gas, cars, phone carriers, and public transportation. There are also pictures of gas stations, construction sites, grand plazas and planes. Wildly enough, all of these things depicted are supposed to be important to human kind. The piece isn't in any order, everything is scattered. Somethings are even lapped over each other. The photo shows how we, as the people of New Jersey, have destroyed this state with our needs, that aren't always necessities. There are ads for food like Burger King, McDonald's, and Wendy's which isn't the best food for consumption. There are numerous trucks and construction sights to add to the environment but everything that is being added is only destroying the environment. The “ideal” ‘Home Sweet’ feel is usually cozy and warm. But this picture looks very busy and unwelcoming, the home looks like its expanded and lost its touch. It actually looks like there were some home improvements happening but along the way we lost the meaning of a home.
Elizabeth Jimenez Montelongo
The Return
2016
Charcoal, acrylic and ink on wood.
Elizabeth Jiménez Montelongo is a visual artist, poet, and teacher based in the San Francisco Bay Area. Her artwork revolves around themes of identity, transformation, and empowerment. Her artwork is influenced by her indigenous "Mesoamerican" ancestry and she looks for inspiration in Mexika (Aztec) artwork and philosophy
. The first thing I notice about “The Return” is the embryo: new life. I’ve been embracing womanhood more than I have in the past, so immediately identified what I was looking at. As I examined the piece closer, the uterus was filled with dangerous objects like skull heads and cacti. The skull heads were at the end of the ovaries releasing something from their mouths; something that could be harming the unborn baby. Skull heads represent danger and sometimes, death. Skull heads are seen non items that usually can be harmful and during Halloween skull heads contribute to the spookiness. Something so small and still becoming is already in massive danger before entering the world; quite frightening and mind blogging, The embryo is being brought into danger. Danger that has been conditioned to seem acceptable or normal. So normal that people continuously bring new life into a world that is dangerous and corrupt, most of the time without knowing how damaged it's become. Which makes me pose the question: What world are we creating for ourselves? What does our home look like? What is being done to prevent the danger that is ongoing? Instead of fixing these loose ends, there's more confusion added to it.
Both of these pieces are very unique and are powerful with their messages. Villamizar and Jimenez are expressing us, as a whole, need to wake up and end the cycle of destruction. Villamizar shows how we’ve destroyed our home removing the warmth and peace that we crave. In exchange, we’ve created a mess of businesses and junk. Destroying our home while some would argue all these "improvements" are bettering our home. When viewing the piece it looks like a confusing mess not a home. Jimenez strongly shows how were destroying our surrounding and bringing new life into it still. The uterus is the baby's home until it birth and its filled with things that can harm the baby r even even the baby. This could also mean the mother isn't doing what she needs to for her baby to be healthy. The messages are clear: STOP KILLING OUR HOME.These artist are pointing out flaws in a very extreme way, but subtle enough to be received.
Work Cited
Elizabeth Jiménez Montelongo, www.ejmontelongo.com/index.html.
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