Deanna Barahona’s exhibit in the Nybak Gallery at the San Luis Obispo Museum of Art details her upbringing and her father’s immigration from El Salvador to the United States.
In “Stars Love Being Alone,” Barahona uses ceramic tile, old photos, glitter, mylar, notes from her father’s old notebooks, and everyday objects to detail what home and family represented to her as a child growing up with influences from her father’s homeland and her family’s assimilation into American culture.
The artist uses the expression “Cosmic Pop” to describe her work, and while there are pop art influences in her pieces, the juxtaposition of old photos and memorabilia combined with her creations may leave viewers confused as to what they’re observing.
Barahona’s artist talk on June 6, held the day after the opening of the exhibit during June’s Art After Dark event, helped give more background into the message Barahona is attempting to communicate.
Without hearing her speak, much of the significance of Barahona’s story may be lost on viewers. I highly recommend that anyone who attends exhibits at the museum attend these talks, to avail themselves of the opportunity to learn more about the artists, their process, and what motivates them to create their work.
The museum is to be congratulated for arranging these talks, and SLOMA also must be given credit for bringing us a diverse selection of art and artists from a wide swath of cultures and countries. Art transcends geographical boundaries and the more we experience different forms and styles of art the more we can learn, appreciate, and communicate with each other.
I found that Barahona’s art didn’t resonate with me. But as she said in her artist talk, she didn’t create these works for the viewer, but rather for herself. It can be gut-wrenching for any artist to share their work publicly and be judged. This is a deeply personal body of work, and both she and the museum are to be applauded for putting the artist and her work in front of the viewing public.