This Installation titled “La Lotería: An Exploration of
México”, while large in scale (approximately 10’x 27’)
consists of 54 small individual oil paintings on wood panels, each measuring
14.24”x 9.5” x 2”. I am excited by both the large scale
of the whole installation, and the detailed paintings that draw the
viewer in with color, language and humor which celebrates the culture
of Mexico. I based the format of this installation on the popular Mexican
game of chance called “La Lotería”. There are 54 cards
in a Lotería deck. Each card shows an image with a word describing
that image in Spanish -hence the total number of 54 small paintings
in this installation. I wanted to paint images, impressions, and ideologies
that would tell of my experiences in Mexico in a fun and objective way.
This installation was conceived while I was living in San Miguel de
Allende, Guanajuato, Mx. I spent 1 year in research on the historical
and social importance of this game, and 1 year in production. Many images
within this installation depict icons of humor, irony, and faith found
throughout Mexico which are concepts that are often employed to deal
with the harsh realities of life. These concepts allow many Mexican
people to maintain sanity in a context, that at times, seem controlled
by the irrational. I find this way of thinking very inspirational and
infectious and hope the viewers of this installation will come to understand
and appreciate this approach as well.
- Teresa Villegas