Estefi Navarro

My work… Why do I like to create it? There is an overlap between abstraction and representation I have always found difficult to find, but fantastic when accomplished. 

The materials used in Rara speak to unpredictability, while keeping some degree of control over the outcome. I can control where the pustules go, but not the directions of the ridges on it. I can control the height of the bumps, but not the way the paint dries on them. Rara is the line between abstraction and representation that has always intrigued me, and the combination of unlikely materials only makes that line thicker. 

Sheltered, while less clear, also sits on the line. There is obvious representation, but also a hint of abstraction. The intimate images tainted with glossy paint is not unpredictable, but the way the paper behaved after certain forms of treatment is. The oddness of the patterns forces a vigorous stare, one that would not have occurred with simple, private scenes. 

Lastly,  Untitled sits on the representation side of the line - for the purpose is to cause an unsettling emotion with a familiar yet undesired scene. What happens when everyday is the same is different across individuals, this one is just my representation. Bounded by the use of a single material adds to the feeling of constraint in my everyday routine.

I cannot explain further the what, the how or the why, I can only explain the unfamiliarity I feel with every work I create. I do not wish for people to look at my work and say “I can tell it’s hers”. The ability to disconnect with the particular style I am known for is the skill I desire, for how can I improve if I am not willing to break the barrier of my own comfort?

My art is the advance from one boundary to the next. Every new piece I focus on what I have done well before, what I have done and must improve, and most importantly, what I have not yet done. And once it is over, I am confident in saying I have inched a little closer to self discovery as an artist, and climbed over that barrier just to find a larger one right in front of me.