These Paintings Are a Cultural Celebration Cut Short

Crystal Latimer’s paintings perform as a colorful tapestry, where Western and Latin American narratives are woven together to present a new form of historical representation, and one that calls attention to the position of the historian, as well as the viewer. According to Latimer, without taking a political stance, she aims to draw attention to the visual tapestries and unknown histories of Latin America.

Woven inside her work are themes like folk arts, tropical flora, and patterns, both traditional and commercial. Painted using warm hues and bright color pellets, the end result can be seen as a celebration of cultural identity.

But if her paintings are to be seen as a cultural celebration of sorts, this celebration is cut short, contrasted with images of conquest, graffiti tags, and marks that interrupt the colorful patchwork. Colors infused with Latin flavor are diluted by a ubiquitous white. Organic, blooming forms are contrasted by flat or rigid fields.

Born in Hollywood, CA, Latimer completed her BFA at Slippery Rock University and went on to receive an MA and MFA from the Indiana University of Pennsylvania. She has since showcased her work both in solo and group exhibitions. You’d want to take note: