San Francisco, CA artist Jhina Alvarado

'Upward Gaze'

'Bathing Beauties 2'

* All images used with permission. Please do not distribute without first contacting the artist.

About Jhina

Jhina Alvarado is s a self taught artist and holds a MA in math education from San Francisco State University.

Forgotten Memories is a series of paintings based on old photographs and their potential associations. Alvarado carefully crops each reference photograph, so that one figure emerges as a “viewpoint character” in a consequently unbalanced composition.

Alvarado regards the precise identity of her figures as inconsequential because so many memories are collective, and for this reason she blocks out their eyes. The considerable amounts of negative space serve to create tension.

The finished paintings are coated in encaustic wax for an antiquated, dream-like aesthetic. ‘The wax obscures the images, as if the viewer is trying to recall a past event and cannot remember all of the details,’ she explains.

California-born Alvarado has lived in San Francisco since 1994. Her work has been exhibited across the United States.

Follow Jhina

Jhina's website

Jhina's blog

Representation

Forre and Co. Fine Art
426 E. Hyman Ave.,
Aspen, CO

Blue Gallery
118 Southwest Blvd,
Kansas City, MO

JoAnne Artman Gallery
326 N. Coast Hwy.,
Laguna Beach, CA

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8 comments displayed

Gregory grego

10.18.2011 @ 11:32 PM

Fantastic. I have enjoyed your work for a long time.

Vicki

10.16.2011 @ 11:44 PM

To me, this work as well as the "Bathing Beauties" piece both have a similar message. The blocking of the ability to personally connect with these (perhaps all?) women due to their being blinded to who & what they actually are as well as them also being unable to see who and what they really are. This lack of being able for them being unable to cennect with themselves, to connect to anyone else or others not being able to connect to them (due to them and others being blinded to their real self), is a commentary of one of the main problems of modern life. Being disconnected form one's true self and disconnected from others is at the core of what is wrong with modern society. If people are connected to who they are at a deep level (their true, essential being) and are deeply connected to others in an authentic way then they do not treat themselves or others in distructive and dishonest ways. Being truly connected to ones essential self and to others in a real way as well would heal humanity and our world.

Jen

10.16.2011 @ 6:10 PM

The first thing I think of is the female gaze and its absence in so much of Western Art throughout history. And then I think of the discomfort of the figures - when you look at them, there's no chance for a human connection without being able to see their eyes. There's no opportunity to be invited into the image with them, so the viewer is left as only a voyeur. We can only look at their bodies. That's all there is to see.
I really like this :)

Mel

10.16.2011 @ 6:08 PM

Personally I don't like these. The eyes are the windows of the soul and I find these dull and boring. Sorry.

Sandy

10.16.2011 @ 3:44 PM

I don't like these at all. I guess I'm not deep enough to understand the meaning that the artist was trying to achieve.

Donnalb2

10.16.2011 @ 3:08 PM

Odd and puzzling.

Candace

10.16.2011 @ 2:23 PM

This is how us American's have been blindfolded by our Government. Hiding all their secrets from us. Thinking that they are in the race for us.....they, the government has fooled us forever. In the 50's we were so naive to everything but ourselves......

Philippe d'an

10.16.2011 @ 9:42 AM

I do not know the date of this pictures , but it is "tres " Paris bazooka school ( kiki / loulou Picasso )