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In a world that is constantly moving, bustling, and turning, the notion of rest and leisure often feels beyond reach. With a long Easter weekend behind us, it seems apt to examine Carolina Salinas's debut solo exhibition Reposed. Particularly, against our conceptions of how rest is undertaken, at times constructed or perceived, where it takes place, and to whom we believe it is afforded.
Human geographer Yi Fu Tuan writes: “place is security, space is freedom: we are attached to one and long for the other.” Although this can be read against a multitude of contexts such as migration, nationhood, and freedom of movement, one can also begin to think about notions of place and space and how they are navigated in certain locales with the intention of rest and leisure. Salinas exhibition presents an interesting mixture of the private and the public, landscape and figurative art traditions, warm and cool tones, and the objective or subjective perspective and how they cumulatively mediate humanity’s connection to the environment. With this being said, how can we move beyond Yi Fu Tuan’s diagnosis of place as security and begin to exist in a space (private or public) of rest and leisure undertaken freely by all?
As you enter the exhibition space at 99 Loop Gallery, where Salinas’s exhibition is located, you are met with this dark yet vibrant green covering the walls. Going against any traditional notion of the white cube, the choice of colour assists with making visible the unusual use of colour that runs through Salinas's art. There is an invisible yet continual thread in the colour palette as the eye moves from one piece to the next – hues of pink, green, and blue are unavoidable, even in instances where the hyperrealist in us wants to scream, “the earth surely cannot be pink!” Salinas describes her process with colours as meditative, stating: “I love to explore. I never use colours from the tube, it’s always mixed on a palette or straight on the canvas. There’s something magical when a colour just pops next to something else unexpected”. It is evident that the colours come into existence through the artist’s leisurely journey to find those that evoke just the right mood.
There are particular works that the eye cannot seem to resist, namely Girl and her pets. The use of oil paints does not result in the heaviness we usually ascribe to it. Instead, the fluidity in colour and style come together to depict a young woman lying in bed with her pink cat and dog. With an averted gaze, and the clear indication that this is indeed a private space, the viewer is left to feel as though they are intruding on an intimate moment. Historically, the position of the viewer relative to the subject often turns into a power battle as women have largely been depicted in submissive roles. This can leave the viewer left with a feeling of subconscious control, especially when it comes to the depiction of women by white cisgender male artists. However, when you realise you are observing a moment of unadulterated relaxation, you begin to feel envious. Here Salinas quietly toys with our gaze, leaving us feeling as though we are intruding in this private setting, yet also longing for (more) moments like this in our own lives.
Adjacent to the wall of Girl and her pets, you are confronted with the work of Hot Boys. The tones of solid dark and light greens in this work serve as the backdrop for men lounging on the beach in swim briefs, taking in the sun in a moment of friendship and fun. This image recalls an impressionist style. Freedom underpins the manner in which the men are depicted as they seem at ease and only concerned with what is occurring in their circle on a decorative beach towel. Where previously with Girl and her pets you felt you were intruding on a private moment, the context of Hot Boys exudes a feeling of empowerment - or it is detectable to the female viewer. The curatorial element becomes pertinent here as on the opposite wall the work Sister in law depicts a woman bent on her knees atop a beach towel staring into the distance. If you trace her stare, it connects almost perfectly with the scene taking place on the opposite wall in the Hot Boys. This placement reads as an almost world-making attempt on the part of the artist – the locales possibly separate, yet still connected through meaning-making.
Fig 1. Carolina Salinas, Girl and her pets, 2023. Oil on unstretched canvas. Courtesy of 99 Loop Gallery.
Fig 2. Carolina Salinas. Hot Boys, 2023. Acrylic and oil on stretched canvas. Courtesy of 99 Loop Gallery.
Fig 3. Carolina Salinas. Sister in law, 2023. Acrylic and mixed medium on Fabriano. Courtesy of 99 Loop Gallery.
Fig 4. Installation shot of Carolina Salina’s exhibition Repose. Courtesy of 99 Loop Gallery.
Fig 5. Installation shot of Carolina Salina’s exhibition Repose. Courtesy of 99 Loop Gallery.
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