The piece, New Predator, is a praying mantis on top of an Aztecan weapon, known as the macuahoitl. The shapes of the sculptures are modeled after the weapons of the Aztecs and the inspiration for the colors comes from the natural minerals, precious metals, and the colors of the land. The creatures on the base are my interpretation of what happens to artifacts after the people are no longer there. It is part of a sub series of the Aztecan Artifact series called Reclaimed, in which the live creatures represent the return or reclaim of the artifacts back to their natural state. Just as ancient temples are reclaimed by plants and animals of the jungle, so are the artifacts in this series.
Venomous Wealth
Venomous Wealth is modeled after a dagger called a tecpatl and the color palette is real gold on a field of black. It also has a small channel cut across the face
of the snake and running through the golden blade. This thin channel carved into the surface of the glass represents the inherent danger that comes with great wealth and greed.
What really helps with my creative process is knowing I’m using some of the same materials as the ancient Mesoamerican people used such as precious metal and glass.
Art
With my artifact series I hope to inspire and to create space for people to imagine what it might be like to go back in time amongst the indigenous people of Mesoamerica. I hope my art invokes imagination and an emotional response from viewers with space to arrive to their own conclusions about what it means to them individually. That is the true power of art. While working on this series, the Aztec and the Mayan’s culture has inspired me to no end from their astrological studies, agriculture and war to the mythological stories and deities and has allowed me to explore and learn and create.