Artist Alter of Intention : Enedina

The other day my friend Genie, who always stops by my personal wall alter to look when she visits, asked me to tell her what all the things that find a home on it actually represented. As I was giving her a quick tour, I thought about how many times I've done this for others. Many artists build these, and generally I started as a teenager constructing altars and continued it until today. Most folks see them in artist's spaces and don't get the opportunity to ask what things mean when they visit. So I thought it would be interesting each day to tell the story of one item on my alter. I have always been heavily into symbolism, and everything there does indeed have a story connected; a reason it found it's way there. I've never thought to document my process and thinking around doing this, and I think this may be the time and place.

I have always had a personal alter in every place I've ever lived, this one is a painted alter dedicated to Frida Kahlo by my friend Enedina Vasquez. It is perfect for small spaces and I consider it my traveling alter, as I have a five foot tall one as well. This one stands about 18 inches high, made of scrap pine packing crates by Enedina's husband Aurturo and painted by Enedina. It is covered in photographs of Frida Kahlo, and the front piece bears a quote from her diary " I have achieved a lot. I will be able to walk. I will be able to paint. I love Deigo more than I love myself" F.K. I added more jewels, because at the time I obtained it I was designing jewelry. Enedina and I met because we both were very influenced by Frida Kahlo at a time most people didn't know who she was, and were delighted to actually meet after seeing each other's work for years.

Frida will always be a guardian angel to me in some ways. When, after years of waiting, the movie came out I viewed it from the unique perspective of seeing and remembering situations and people in my own life on the screen as well. So it is fitting that she is always with me to inspire my works by being the backbone of my personal alter. Artists speak to each other past time and space in my mind, and Frida is one that speaks to me.