‘Origins in Blue’ series
This series explores the universe of mammalian ovaries and oocytes. The palette of the whole series is a combination of ultramarine blue, cadmium yellow and red, and ivory. The general technique is decoupage and collage. The materials used are multiple and include newspaper, tissue paper, fineliner, thread, real leaves and flowers, and acrylic paint. Throughout the works, the ovary is seen through an increasingly magnified lens, adding more fantasy and imaginary structures from work to work. The series aims to combine biology with some psychological concepts. It explores interpersonal relationships, especially the connection with otherness and the judgmental gaze. The focus of this series is particularly on childhood and the insertion of a new individual into an environment full of pre-existing issues and inherited conflicts.
‘Primary Follicle’, 2024.
Collage, decoupage, acrylic paint, and fineliner, 50 x 50 cm.
This work is inspired by hematoxylin-eosin and azan stainings of ovaries from various organisms, but mostly humans. The central element is reminiscent of a unilaminar primary follicle. The figures in the lower left and upper right vertices are inspired by primordial follicles, less developed than the primary follicle, connected to it by an imaginary diagonal line that organizes the composition. These three elements are immersed in a dense, crowded environment formed by bodies reminiscent of stromal cells, whose position and shape create a sense of movement and dynamism. This visual effect evokes a current that surrounds the follicles and draws attention to the primary follicle. The colors used correspond to a contemporary palette in which yellow and cadmium red predominate in the follicles and ultramarine blue in the stromal cells. These contrasting tones create a dialogue between exuberance and calm, movement and quietness. On the other hand, the use of different materials, such as threads and different types of paper, contributes to the dynamism of the work. The depiction of the nuclei and membranes with blue threads and their orange shadows in acrylic create a visual blur that adds to the sense of movement. The inclusion of leaves, flowers and stems in the primary follicle draws attention to this element and represents the origin of all the possible paths an individual can take during their development. On the other hand, the phrases written in Spanish and scattered around the main follicle represent the inherited conflicts a new person will face in his or her interpersonal relationships.
‘Imaginary Oocyte’, 2024. Decoupage, acrylic paint, newspaper, and fineliner, 50 x 60 cm.
This work shows the inside of a human egg cell with an imaginary universe inside. The nucleus, mostly in yellow and orange tones, was created by placing bubbles of acrylic paint and detergent on the canvas. Around the nucleus there are some organic forms, mostly in different shades of blue, but also in yellow and red. They extend from the nucleus and look as if they are squeezing it, growing and feeding from it. Although these forms are reminiscent of some aquatic organisms, they have no exact correlation in the real world and were dictated by the subconscious. The dialogue between the nucleus and the organic matrix refers to interpersonal relationships, in a balance that can sometimes be negative or parasitic, with one individual feeding on the other. These organic forms are also found in the periphery of the cell, framing the composition. The cytoplasm of the oocyte is made up of Argentinean newspapers arranged in a radial pattern. It represents the first encounters of a new individual with language and the need to interpret reality through symbolism. In other words, it speaks of the first interaction of a human being with the intellectual world, with its amazing possibilities, but also with its pressures and inherited expectations. On the other hand, since the oocyte is part of a primary follicle explored in the previous work of the series, vertices of the composition show part of the cells surrounding the oocyte in this structure.
‘Nucleus and Superego’, 2024. Decoupage, acrylic paint, and fineliner, 50 x 50 cm.
This piece takes the “Origins in Blue” series one step further inside the oocyte. The main element of the composition is the oocyte nucleus, shown in orange and yellow with a granular appearance created with texture paste. This is clearly the most surreal piece in the series, imagining the nucleus as a compartment full of eyes painted in shades of blue. The holes in the nucleus, where these judging eyes are placed, resemble nuclear pores, although they are not uniformly sized and are much larger in proportion. In this way, the work combines cell biology with the psychoanalytic concept of the superego. When viewers reach this fundamental cellular compartment, they also reach a core concept of the psyche: the effect that external judgmental opinions can have on the development of the mind, especially during childhood. These eyes look in all directions, emphasizing how difficult it is to escape the judgments of others, and how deeply they can shape personality and affect interpersonal relationships in adulthood.