The new works of Patssi Valdez present images of the familiar interiors
with new palettes and a subdued movement. Know for her brilliant use of
color and patterns of energy and movement in domestic interiors, Valdez
moves the viewer into a new vista of the familiar with earth tones. Her
use of drapery frames the still life with a disquieting sense of
revelation. Staging her works like theater, the artist uses the objects of
the everyday to bring narratives of loss. The falling letter,unopened,
the wisps of incense from a moment of meditation, and the ever present
vista through the window. The paintings and prints introduce us to the
boundary between the personal space of the home and the beckoning view of
the public landscape. In "Reynaldo's Garden" the weeping willow, twisting
vines and trampled pathway lead to the lonely garden chair in a metaphor
of nature and maturation. The signs of nature are present in her goddess
series, where dark skinned girls, stand childlike in terrain of
tempestuous and windswept skies. Auras of light frame the figure and the
offerings of flowers and shells remind us of ancient rituals. These new
works are filled with the deep rich color of emotion and the narrative of
momentary acts. Each still life reflects the passage of daily life and
memory and one wonders at who might have inhabited the rooms laid open to
view.
by Amalia Mesa Bains
