The Artisan by Carla Tilotta

Regular price: $4,500.00
Sale price: $4,500.00
Regular price

The Artisan
Carla Tilotta
Silkscreen and oil paint on canvas
47"h x 35"w x 1.5"d
2019

This work is a reinterpretation of an 1855 Peruvian painting titled "Habitante de la Cordillera," which depicts a young indigenous man proudly holding a huaco. My interpretation explores the impact of consumerism on traditional craft, where artisans often create specifically for the tourist market rather than for the development of their art.

The background is a silk-screened collage evoking mass consumerism—including the Coca-Cola logo, tourists, cameras and more. The oil-painted figure holds items commonly sold to tourists in Cusco. The phrase "one dollar the picture" refers to the practice of locals wearing traditional clothing to charge tourists for photographs. As part of my process, I worked with a model in traditional attire to capture the imagery used in the painting.

Get to Know the Artist:
I am a multidisciplinary artist who works in both traditional arts such as drawing, painting and sculpture; as well as conceptual art. My artwork explores an ironic language that seeks to provocatively and satirically reflect the social and cultural roles of a contemporary consumer society; the use of the photographic and digital registry is part of the creative process, thus recreating new themes that manage to show the beautiful and the grotesque of humanity.

The use and exploration of new materials, whether organic or inorganic, is vital for the development of my work; in each of my artworks I strive to show a connection between matter and concept.

Lately, the themes I explore are related to the ideals and aspirations built around the concept of the nuclear family of the mid-20th century. One of the pieces that I have designed/created is based on the games and toys that come in pieces to break down and assemble, such as those used in scale modeling. This ‘perfect family’ model is made up of elements (money, jewelry, cars, travel, etc.) that symbolize and project the search for well-being and luxury, as well as social advancement and improvement of status through the assimilation of traditional social values and the acquisition of high-value products.

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