Up-and-coming artist Agnes Valderrama’s debut piece is on display on Her Family’s Refrigerator. Her breakout work is a promising start to a brilliant artistic career.
The simplicity of colored pencil on printer paper belies the emotion and talent that went into this piece. The artist tells us her mother had not yet invested in a set of crayons when she began this piece, and therefore the use of the colored pencils she had lying around represents the artist’s humble beginnings to her career.
The piece took her three days to create, and one can clearly see that even in so short a time, the techniques of this burgeoning artist evolved and blossomed before the viewer’s very eyes. Light, tentative strokes give way to bold, decisive lines. The figures on the paper reach ever higher as the confidence of the artist grows.
This piece speaks a truly emotional story of an artist bowed down under her own physical and developmental limitations. The bottom of the piece is a fray of frustrated, contrasting strokes–representing the artist’s frustration with the limitations inherent in her toddler-hood–while the top of the page is relatively free and open–representing the future heights she aspires to one day reach. Her use of negative space is masterful.
It is truly thought-provoking to be confronted so boldly with the realities of life as a toddler–a sadly under-represented minority in the fine arts community. I hope to see many more entries on display from this promising young talent.
Agnes lives and works in Her Parents’ House, and continues to display her work. Viewings by appointment only.
