Out of TownerDoris Salcedo
Art Does Not Give Answers
by Stephanie D’Ercole
I was first exposed to Doris Salcedo’s diverse oeuvre while working toward my art
history minor in college. It was during a Latin American art history course, taught
by the insightful and passionate Cyriaco Lopes, where I became acquainted and
enamored with the talent of many creatives from the region. My interest was piqued
by themes of sociopolitical activism and aspects of contemplative mourning, motifs
running through much of the art produced by Latin American artists in the 20th and
21st centuries. Salcedo’s body of work is no exception, and is the quintessence of
these artistic devices. Her artwork plays on nuance and ambiguity, evoking an eerie,
gentle stillness that goads one to delve deeper to comprehend the various facets of
her message.
While exploring New York City in July of last year, I learned that a retrospective
exhibition of her works was being held at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum.
Having never seen any of her work outside the lecture room, I was eager to better
understand the compelling and enigmatic prose her art composes.
At first glance, Doris Salcedo’s retrospective exhibition may have appeared, to the
unacquainted, as a collection of vintage furniture store outcasts. Wardrobes, bed
frames, and chairs functionally hindered by poured concrete, stacked tables fostering the growth of grass from their scarred surfaces; her works challenge the viewer
to look within, and metaphysically beyond them to fully assimilate their significance.
Salcedo’s works, as well as those of other Latin American artists, often take the
shape of requiems for lost freedom, justice, and life, whether as a result of violence,
the residual effects of colonialism, or governmental and military oppression.
untitled works (1989 - 2008), wooden furniture and concrete
translating to “silent prayer” and intending to evoke the
imagery of graves en masse, Plegaria Muda was inspired
by the loss of life due to gang- and military-related violence
in Los Angeles and her native Colombia. Similarly full of
sorrow and remembrance, A Flor de Piel was created as
a response to the tragedy of a female nurse who was tortured to death in Colombia. The work—a large shroud
Making its American debut at the retrospective, Salcedo’s large installation, Plegaria of individual rose petals stitched together, spanning over
Muda, embodies the notion of artwork being utilized to memorialize loss. Loosely twelve feet long and seven feet wide—fills an entire room
and commands the viewer’s unPlegaria Muda, wood, concrete, earth, and grass
mitigated attention and reflection.
The idiomatic phrase of the title,
which literally likens flesh to the
fragility of flowers, suggests one
being overcome with raw emotion
and sensitivity.
The term “retrospective” proves
an apt and multifaceted application of Sal