Continuing through November 3, 2012
In "Girls with Guns," Claudia Alvarez focuses on adult themes personified in the physical bodies of children with adult faces. Working in ceramic sculptures, watercolor and oil, Alvarez explores emotions and actions related to human social conduct. The paintings often include young girls holding and pointing guns, an obvious evocation of violence that is also a reflection the inner psychological conflicts adults have between the recalled innocence of childhood and the need to protect ourselves.
The sculptural forms are placed in an installation that includes several separate groups of small ceramic children, each set in a different tableau. One depicts four small children with their hands raised high, a dog, and another child behind them with a gun pointed at the group. Another includes two youngsters, one on top of the other, embroiled in a primitive struggle for dominance. A third group is a depiction of a child shunned. One female figure is seated on the floor with her arm and hand raised to cover her face. She is surrounded by other children who are bullying her, again referencing that primitive need for dominance.
Published courtesy of ArtSceneCal ©2012
