{"title":"Figurative","description":" ","products":[{"product_id":"gods-of-folly-oil-on-canvas","title":"'GODS OF FOLLY' - Oil on Canvas","description":"\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eConnecting more people with more original art\u003c\/span\u003e","brand":"Michael Prettyman","offers":[{"title":"48'' x 48''","offer_id":47071838077217,"sku":"","price":6000.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0792\/0589\/2385\/files\/White-30_beca13ce-52f5-40f2-a3c7-16f71b0cf034.jpg?v=1716218463"},{"product_id":"victoria-victoria-oil-on-30-tondo-canvas-2022","title":"'VICTORIA, VICTORIA' - Oil","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eThe artwork titled 'Victoria, Victoria' by Michael Prettyman is a painting with a unique circular format that breaks away from the traditional rectangular canvas, immediately creating a distinctive presentation. The subject is centered and fills the composition, a figure shrouded in a ghostly, flowing garment that drapes elegantly, giving a sense of movement and softness to the form. The garment's folds are rendered with careful shading, providing a three-dimensional quality, and suggesting the volume and shape of the figure beneath.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eThe color scheme is relatively limited, focusing on cool tones that range from the light turquoise of the background to the deeper shadows of the draped form. This monochromatic approach draws attention to the play of light and shadow, emphasizing the delicate gradations and subtleties of the form. The eyes of the figure are two dark spots, the only break in the otherwise muted palette, which creates a haunting focal point within the piece.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eThe painting’s smooth finish and the way the figure is set against a flat color background lends it an almost surreal or otherworldly quality. There’s a serenity and mystery to the work, inviting contemplation on the identity and emotions of the obscured figure. It’s a piece that combines elements of realism with the ethereal, creating an intriguing visual tension.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Michael Prettyman","offers":[{"title":"30 X 30","offer_id":47071866093857,"sku":"","price":3800.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0792\/0589\/2385\/files\/White-29_9587ddf8-3291-4f07-9fe2-9b40167ff213.jpg?v=1716218438"},{"product_id":"problematico-oil-on-30-canvas-tondo-2023","title":"'PROBLEMATICO' - Oil on Canvas","description":"\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eConnecting more people with more original art\u003c\/span\u003e","brand":"Michael Prettyman","offers":[{"title":"30 X 30","offer_id":47071867601185,"sku":"","price":3800.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0792\/0589\/2385\/files\/White-28_a61ad4c6-123b-4d59-98e8-dfa365cf4763.jpg?v=1716218360"},{"product_id":"st-anger-oil-on-canvas-24-x18-2022","title":"'ST. ANGER' - Oil on Canvas","description":"\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eConnecting more people with more original art\u003c\/span\u003e","brand":"Michael Prettyman","offers":[{"title":"24” x 18”","offer_id":47169955496225,"sku":"","price":3300.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0792\/0589\/2385\/files\/White-27_a7e7f977-76fa-4e11-a9f0-fd0acd37fbb9.jpg?v=1716218158"},{"product_id":"my-friend-april-snow-oil-on-canvas-48-x36","title":"'MY FRIEND APRIL SNOW' - Oil on Canvas","description":"The artwork titled ‘My Friend, April Snow’ by Michael Prettyman is a figurative piece that employs a soft, predominantly warm palette to create a gentle yet emotive image. The central figure, which appears shrouded or draped, is rendered with a high degree of realism, particularly in the folds and contours of the covering, which suggest a heavy, fabric-like material.\u003cbr\u003eThe figure is set against a muted background of soft pinks and whites that blend seamlessly together, providing a sense of calm and serenity. The color scheme and the title of the piece may allude to the unexpected nature of a snowfall in April, where the starkness of snow is tempered by the warm promise of spring.\u003cbr\u003eThe shroud over the figure is detailed with subtle variations in hue and value, from deep, shadowy creases to highlights that seem to suggest a source of light illuminating the form from above. This light creates a delicate interplay of light and shadow across the surface of the fabric, enhancing the three-dimensional effect.\u003cbr\u003eThere is an element of mystery in the composition, as the figure's features are obscured, inviting viewers to ponder the identity of the subject or the symbolism behind the shroud. The title 'My Friend, April Snow' suggests a personal narrative or relationship between the artist and the subject, perhaps referencing themes of transformation, concealment, or revelation.\u003cbr\u003eOverall, the painting strikes a balance between representational art and abstract emotional expression, using the figure's posture, the tactile quality of the drapery, and the atmospheric background to convey a mood that is contemplative and introspective.\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Michael Prettyman","offers":[{"title":"48” x 36”","offer_id":47170052260129,"sku":"","price":3800.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0792\/0589\/2385\/files\/White-26_e748ff15-507e-45cd-8a16-2634adcde70c.jpg?v=1716218131"},{"product_id":"forgivness-oil-on-panel-12-x12","title":"'FORGIVENESS' - Oil on Panel","description":"\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eConnecting more people with more original art\u003c\/span\u003e","brand":"Michael Prettyman","offers":[{"title":"12” x 12”","offer_id":47071874941217,"sku":"","price":1400.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0792\/0589\/2385\/files\/White-25_f55c68fe-4617-4d37-b84a-2a8a55dfcac1.jpg?v=1716218106"},{"product_id":"as-you-were-oil-on-canvas-12-x12","title":"'AS YOU WERE' - Oil on Canvas","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe artwork titled ‘As You Were’ by Michael Prettyman is a contemplative piece that combines elements of abstraction and figuration. The central figure, which is shrouded or cloaked, is rendered with a rich, earthy palette of browns, umbers, and ochres, evoking the feeling of organic material or the natural world.\u003cbr\u003eThe figure is depicted with a soft, almost ethereal quality, as if emerging from or merging with the background. A halo or corona of light seems to emanate from or surround the figure's head, suggesting a spiritual or otherworldly presence. This luminous effect contrasts with the darker, more grounded tones of the figure itself, creating a focal point that draws the viewer's eye.\u003cbr\u003eThe background is a hazy, muted green that fades into the edges of the canvas, providing a calming counterpoint to the warmer tones of the figure. The subtle gradient of the background suggests depth and space, giving the figure a sense of being situated within a larger environment.\u003cbr\u003eTextures in the painting are varied, with some areas appearing smooth and others showing visible brushwork or palette knife marks, adding to the overall tactile experience of the piece. The painting's surface is dynamic, with a sense of movement and flow that enhances the figure's drapery.\u003cbr\u003eOverall, 'As You Were' is an evocative work that balances between representation and abstraction. It invites introspection and evokes themes of identity, presence, and the passage between the physical and the metaphysical. The artwork's title, ‘As You Were,’ may imply a return to a previous state or essence, adding a layer of narrative or conceptual depth to the visual experience.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Michael Prettyman","offers":[{"title":"12” x 12”","offer_id":47071881330977,"sku":"","price":1200.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0792\/0589\/2385\/files\/White-24_8a5f619f-e3ee-428a-a846-3bf46b042282.jpg?v=1730557433"},{"product_id":"instructions-for-dancing-in-oil-and-encaustic","title":"'INSTRUCTIONS FOR DANCING' - Oil and Encaustic","description":"\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eConnecting more people with more original art\u003c\/span\u003e","brand":"Michael Prettyman","offers":[{"title":"20 x 16","offer_id":47078934413601,"sku":"","price":1200.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0792\/0589\/2385\/files\/White-19_4d506fd0-7180-42f4-89c5-7e5968364e02.jpg?v=1716217152"},{"product_id":"sparks-oil-on-panel","title":"'SPARKS'","description":"\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eConnecting more people with more original art\u003c\/span\u003e","brand":"Michael Prettyman","offers":[{"title":"16 x 20","offer_id":47079153107233,"sku":null,"price":630.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0792\/0589\/2385\/files\/White-16_5e930a6d-a18c-4dc9-ba8e-4a23267b39e1.jpg?v=1716216911"},{"product_id":"she-smolders-oil-on-panel","title":"'SHE SMOLDERS'","description":"\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eConnecting more people with more original art\u003c\/span\u003e","brand":"Michael Prettyman","offers":[{"title":"30 x 30","offer_id":47079174734113,"sku":null,"price":1200.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0792\/0589\/2385\/files\/White-15_b36220b9-5fb1-4a66-9d6f-6da23c798aaf.jpg?v=1716216331"},{"product_id":"more-than-dreamt","title":"'MORE THAN DREAMT'","description":"\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eConnecting more people with more original art\u003c\/span\u003e","brand":"Michael Prettyman","offers":[{"title":"36'' x 48''","offer_id":47079216677153,"sku":null,"price":1400.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0792\/0589\/2385\/files\/White-14_cd1152c1-08d5-41ef-a2df-ed72980ee4c4.jpg?v=1716216294"},{"product_id":"jove-nods-to-jove-in-each-of-us","title":"'JOVE NODS TO JOVE IN EACH OF US'","description":"\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eConnecting more people with more original art\u003c\/span\u003e","brand":"Michael Prettyman","offers":[{"title":"24 x 36","offer_id":47079247839521,"sku":null,"price":1200.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0792\/0589\/2385\/files\/White-13_0e6b81db-826f-49c3-b6af-708c3c2951cc.jpg?v=1716216229"},{"product_id":"divers-watercolor-on-cotton-rag-paper","title":"'DIVERS' - Watercolor on Cotton Rag Paper","description":"\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eConnecting more people with more original art\u003c\/span\u003e","brand":"Michael Prettyman","offers":[{"title":"16”x20”","offer_id":47119187673377,"sku":"","price":430.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0792\/0589\/2385\/files\/White-12_25814b7e-0245-4b95-9646-8fa4de6da8e5.jpg?v=1716216151"},{"product_id":"miffy-fountain-oil-on-panel","title":"'MIFFY FOUNTAIN' - Oil on Panel","description":"\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eConnecting more people with more original art\u003c\/span\u003e","brand":"Bryan Trainor","offers":[{"title":"8'' x 10\"","offer_id":47370804003105,"sku":null,"price":240.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0792\/0589\/2385\/files\/MIFFY-FOUNTAIN.jpg?v=1715268788"},{"product_id":"taxiarch-oil-on-canvas","title":"'TAXIARCH' - Oil on Canvas","description":"\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eConnecting more people with more original art\u003c\/span\u003e","brand":"Bryan Trainor","offers":[{"title":"36'' x 48\"","offer_id":47370808983841,"sku":null,"price":4800.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0792\/0589\/2385\/files\/TAXIARCH.jpg?v=1715268761"},{"product_id":"wise-one-bolivianos-collection-soft-pastel-on-sandpaper","title":"\"WISE ONE - BOLIVIANOS\" Soft Pastel on Sandpaper","description":"\u003ch2 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003eBolivianos\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eIn reality the festive masks made of stucco or cloth which the dancers wear to cover their psychological masks of submission, indifference and self-inflicted censure, permit them to show their true faces. By virtue of this paradoxical covering to uncover, all the unconfessed desires, the repressed energies and the hidden resentments overflow in a torrent of color, movement and melody: a magnificent awakening of a sleeping culture.\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eMasks of the Bolivian Andes,\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eEditorial Equipus and Banco Mercantil\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eMy long-standing fascination with traditional masks took a leap forward in the spring of 2017 when I visited the National Museum of Ethnography and Folklore in La Paz, Bolivia. One particular exhibition on view, with more than fifty festival masks, was completely spell-binding.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe masks were old and had been crafted in Oruro, a former tin-mining center about 140 miles south of La Paz on the cold Altiplano (elevation 12,000’). Depicting important figures from Bolivian folklore traditions, the masks were created for use in Carnival celebrations that happen each year in late February or early March.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCarnival in Oruro revolves around three great dances. The dance of “The Incas” records the conquest and death of Atahualpa, the Inca emperor when the Spanish arrived in 1532. “The Morenada” dance was once assumed to represent black slaves who worked in the mines, but the truth is more complicated (and uncertain) since only mitayo Indians were permitted to do this work. The dance of “The Diablada” depicts Saint Michael fighting against Lucifer and the seven deadly sins. The latter were originally disguised in seven different masks derived from medieval Christian symbols and mostly devoid of pre-Columbian elements (except for totemic animals that became attached to Christianity after the Conquest). Typically, in these dances the cock represents Pride, the dog Envy, the pig Greed, the female devil Lust, etc.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe exhibition in La Paz was stunning and dramatic. Each mask was meticulously installed against a dark black wall and strategically spotlighted so that it became alive. The whole effect was uncanny. The masks looked like 3D versions of my “Black Paintings,” a pastel paintings series I have been creating for ten years. This experience was a gift… I could hardly believe my good fortune!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eKnowing I was looking at the birth of a new series – I said as much to my companions as I remained behind while they explored other parts of the museum – I spent considerable time composing photographs. Consequently, I have enough reference material to create new pastel paintings in the studio for several years. The series, entitled “Bolivianos,” is arguably my strongest and most striking work to date.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Barbara Rachko","offers":[{"title":"58\" x 38\"","offer_id":47419302478113,"sku":null,"price":60000.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0792\/0589\/2385\/files\/WISE-ONE---BOLIVIANOS.jpg?v=1715264161"},{"product_id":"the-moralist-bolivianos-collection-soft-pastel-on-sandpaper","title":"\"THE MORALIST - BOLIVIANOS\" Soft Pastel on Sandpaper","description":"\u003ch2 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003eBolivianos\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eIn reality the festive masks made of stucco or cloth which the dancers wear to cover their psychological masks of submission, indifference and self-inflicted censure, permit them to show their true faces. By virtue of this paradoxical covering to uncover, all the unconfessed desires, the repressed energies and the hidden resentments overflow in a torrent of color, movement and melody: a magnificent awakening of a sleeping culture.\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eMasks of the Bolivian Andes,\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eEditorial Equipus and Banco Mercantil\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eMy long-standing fascination with traditional masks took a leap forward in the spring of 2017 when I visited the National Museum of Ethnography and Folklore in La Paz, Bolivia. One particular exhibition on view, with more than fifty festival masks, was completely spell-binding.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe masks were old and had been crafted in Oruro, a former tin-mining center about 140 miles south of La Paz on the cold Altiplano (elevation 12,000’). Depicting important figures from Bolivian folklore traditions, the masks were created for use in Carnival celebrations that happen each year in late February or early March.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCarnival in Oruro revolves around three great dances. The dance of “The Incas” records the conquest and death of Atahualpa, the Inca emperor when the Spanish arrived in 1532. “The Morenada” dance was once assumed to represent black slaves who worked in the mines, but the truth is more complicated (and uncertain) since only mitayo Indians were permitted to do this work. The dance of “The Diablada” depicts Saint Michael fighting against Lucifer and the seven deadly sins. The latter were originally disguised in seven different masks derived from medieval Christian symbols and mostly devoid of pre-Columbian elements (except for totemic animals that became attached to Christianity after the Conquest). Typically, in these dances the cock represents Pride, the dog Envy, the pig Greed, the female devil Lust, etc.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe exhibition in La Paz was stunning and dramatic. Each mask was meticulously installed against a dark black wall and strategically spotlighted so that it became alive. The whole effect was uncanny. The masks looked like 3D versions of my “Black Paintings,” a pastel paintings series I have been creating for ten years. This experience was a gift… I could hardly believe my good fortune!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eKnowing I was looking at the birth of a new series – I said as much to my companions as I remained behind while they explored other parts of the museum – I spent considerable time composing photographs. Consequently, I have enough reference material to create new pastel paintings in the studio for several years. The series, entitled “Bolivianos,” is arguably my strongest and most striking work to date.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Barbara Rachko","offers":[{"title":"26” x 20”","offer_id":47419652178209,"sku":null,"price":20000.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0792\/0589\/2385\/files\/THE-MORALIST---BOLIVIANOS_1dff1fda-e5a1-408c-b55d-9fad6d83f99e.jpg?v=1730556660"},{"product_id":"shadow-bolivianos-soft-pastel-on-sandpaper","title":"\"SHADOW - BOLIVIANOS\" Soft Pastel on Sandpaper","description":"\u003ch2 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003eBolivianos\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eIn reality the festive masks made of stucco or cloth which the dancers wear to cover their psychological masks of submission, indifference and self-inflicted censure, permit them to show their true faces. By virtue of this paradoxical covering to uncover, all the unconfessed desires, the repressed energies and the hidden resentments overflow in a torrent of color, movement and melody: a magnificent awakening of a sleeping culture.\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eMasks of the Bolivian Andes,\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eEditorial Equipus and Banco Mercantil\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eMy long-standing fascination with traditional masks took a leap forward in the spring of 2017 when I visited the National Museum of Ethnography and Folklore in La Paz, Bolivia. One particular exhibition on view, with more than fifty festival masks, was completely spell-binding.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe masks were old and had been crafted in Oruro, a former tin-mining center about 140 miles south of La Paz on the cold Altiplano (elevation 12,000’). Depicting important figures from Bolivian folklore traditions, the masks were created for use in Carnival celebrations that happen each year in late February or early March.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCarnival in Oruro revolves around three great dances. The dance of “The Incas” records the conquest and death of Atahualpa, the Inca emperor when the Spanish arrived in 1532. “The Morenada” dance was once assumed to represent black slaves who worked in the mines, but the truth is more complicated (and uncertain) since only mitayo Indians were permitted to do this work. The dance of “The Diablada” depicts Saint Michael fighting against Lucifer and the seven deadly sins. The latter were originally disguised in seven different masks derived from medieval Christian symbols and mostly devoid of pre-Columbian elements (except for totemic animals that became attached to Christianity after the Conquest). Typically, in these dances the cock represents Pride, the dog Envy, the pig Greed, the female devil Lust, etc.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe exhibition in La Paz was stunning and dramatic. Each mask was meticulously installed against a dark black wall and strategically spotlighted so that it became alive. The whole effect was uncanny. The masks looked like 3D versions of my “Black Paintings,” a pastel paintings series I have been creating for ten years. This experience was a gift… I could hardly believe my good fortune!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eKnowing I was looking at the birth of a new series – I said as much to my companions as I remained behind while they explored other parts of the museum – I spent considerable time composing photographs. Consequently, I have enough reference material to create new pastel paintings in the studio for several years. The series, entitled “Bolivianos,” is arguably my strongest and most striking work to date.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Barbara Rachko","offers":[{"title":"26” x 20”","offer_id":47419750777121,"sku":null,"price":20000.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0792\/0589\/2385\/files\/SHADOW---BOLIVIANOS.jpg?v=1715263792"},{"product_id":"sacrificial-bolivianos-soft-pastel-on-sandpaper","title":"\"SACRIFICIAL - BOLIVIANOS\" Soft Pastel on Sandpaper","description":"\u003ch2 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003eBolivianos\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eIn reality the festive masks made of stucco or cloth which the dancers wear to cover their psychological masks of submission, indifference and self-inflicted censure, permit them to show their true faces. By virtue of this paradoxical covering to uncover, all the unconfessed desires, the repressed energies and the hidden resentments overflow in a torrent of color, movement and melody: a magnificent awakening of a sleeping culture.\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eMasks of the Bolivian Andes,\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eEditorial Equipus and Banco Mercantil\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eMy long-standing fascination with traditional masks took a leap forward in the spring of 2017 when I visited the National Museum of Ethnography and Folklore in La Paz, Bolivia. One particular exhibition on view, with more than fifty festival masks, was completely spell-binding.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe masks were old and had been crafted in Oruro, a former tin-mining center about 140 miles south of La Paz on the cold Altiplano (elevation 12,000’). Depicting important figures from Bolivian folklore traditions, the masks were created for use in Carnival celebrations that happen each year in late February or early March.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCarnival in Oruro revolves around three great dances. The dance of “The Incas” records the conquest and death of Atahualpa, the Inca emperor when the Spanish arrived in 1532. “The Morenada” dance was once assumed to represent black slaves who worked in the mines, but the truth is more complicated (and uncertain) since only mitayo Indians were permitted to do this work. The dance of “The Diablada” depicts Saint Michael fighting against Lucifer and the seven deadly sins. The latter were originally disguised in seven different masks derived from medieval Christian symbols and mostly devoid of pre-Columbian elements (except for totemic animals that became attached to Christianity after the Conquest). Typically, in these dances the cock represents Pride, the dog Envy, the pig Greed, the female devil Lust, etc.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe exhibition in La Paz was stunning and dramatic. Each mask was meticulously installed against a dark black wall and strategically spotlighted so that it became alive. The whole effect was uncanny. The masks looked like 3D versions of my “Black Paintings,” a pastel paintings series I have been creating for ten years. This experience was a gift… I could hardly believe my good fortune!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eKnowing I was looking at the birth of a new series – I said as much to my companions as I remained behind while they explored other parts of the museum – I spent considerable time composing photographs. Consequently, I have enough reference material to create new pastel paintings in the studio for several years. The series, entitled “Bolivianos,” is arguably my strongest and most striking work to date.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Barbara Rachko","offers":[{"title":"58” x 38”","offer_id":47419877130529,"sku":null,"price":60000.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0792\/0589\/2385\/files\/SACRIFICIAL---BOLIVIANOS.jpg?v=1715263690"},{"product_id":"the-mentalist-bolivianos-soft-pastel-on-sandpaper","title":"\"THE MENTALIST - BOLIVIANOS\" Soft Pastel on Sandpaper","description":"\u003ch2 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003eBolivianos\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eIn reality the festive masks made of stucco or cloth which the dancers wear to cover their psychological masks of submission, indifference and self-inflicted censure, permit them to show their true faces. By virtue of this paradoxical covering to uncover, all the unconfessed desires, the repressed energies and the hidden resentments overflow in a torrent of color, movement and melody: a magnificent awakening of a sleeping culture.\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eMasks of the Bolivian Andes,\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eEditorial Equipus and Banco Mercantil\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eMy long-standing fascination with traditional masks took a leap forward in the spring of 2017 when I visited the National Museum of Ethnography and Folklore in La Paz, Bolivia. One particular exhibition on view, with more than fifty festival masks, was completely spell-binding.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe masks were old and had been crafted in Oruro, a former tin-mining center about 140 miles south of La Paz on the cold Altiplano (elevation 12,000’). Depicting important figures from Bolivian folklore traditions, the masks were created for use in Carnival celebrations that happen each year in late February or early March.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCarnival in Oruro revolves around three great dances. The dance of “The Incas” records the conquest and death of Atahualpa, the Inca emperor when the Spanish arrived in 1532. “The Morenada” dance was once assumed to represent black slaves who worked in the mines, but the truth is more complicated (and uncertain) since only mitayo Indians were permitted to do this work. The dance of “The Diablada” depicts Saint Michael fighting against Lucifer and the seven deadly sins. The latter were originally disguised in seven different masks derived from medieval Christian symbols and mostly devoid of pre-Columbian elements (except for totemic animals that became attached to Christianity after the Conquest). Typically, in these dances the cock represents Pride, the dog Envy, the pig Greed, the female devil Lust, etc.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe exhibition in La Paz was stunning and dramatic. Each mask was meticulously installed against a dark black wall and strategically spotlighted so that it became alive. The whole effect was uncanny. The masks looked like 3D versions of my “Black Paintings,” a pastel paintings series I have been creating for ten years. This experience was a gift… I could hardly believe my good fortune!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eKnowing I was looking at the birth of a new series – I said as much to my companions as I remained behind while they explored other parts of the museum – I spent considerable time composing photographs. Consequently, I have enough reference material to create new pastel paintings in the studio for several years. The series, entitled “Bolivianos,” is arguably my strongest and most striking work to date.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Barbara Rachko","offers":[{"title":"26” x 20”","offer_id":47419926511905,"sku":null,"price":20000.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0792\/0589\/2385\/files\/THE-MENTALIST---BOLIVIANOS.jpg?v=1715263968"},{"product_id":"overlord-bolivianos-soft-pastel-on-sandpaper","title":"\"OVERLORD - BOLIVIANOS\" Soft Pastel on Sandpaper","description":"\u003ch2 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003eBolivianos\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eIn reality the festive masks made of stucco or cloth which the dancers wear to cover their psychological masks of submission, indifference and self-inflicted censure, permit them to show their true faces. By virtue of this paradoxical covering to uncover, all the unconfessed desires, the repressed energies and the hidden resentments overflow in a torrent of color, movement and melody: a magnificent awakening of a sleeping culture.\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eMasks of the Bolivian Andes,\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eEditorial Equipus and Banco Mercantil\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eMy long-standing fascination with traditional masks took a leap forward in the spring of 2017 when I visited the National Museum of Ethnography and Folklore in La Paz, Bolivia. One particular exhibition on view, with more than fifty festival masks, was completely spell-binding.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe masks were old and had been crafted in Oruro, a former tin-mining center about 140 miles south of La Paz on the cold Altiplano (elevation 12,000’). Depicting important figures from Bolivian folklore traditions, the masks were created for use in Carnival celebrations that happen each year in late February or early March.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCarnival in Oruro revolves around three great dances. The dance of “The Incas” records the conquest and death of Atahualpa, the Inca emperor when the Spanish arrived in 1532. “The Morenada” dance was once assumed to represent black slaves who worked in the mines, but the truth is more complicated (and uncertain) since only mitayo Indians were permitted to do this work. The dance of “The Diablada” depicts Saint Michael fighting against Lucifer and the seven deadly sins. The latter were originally disguised in seven different masks derived from medieval Christian symbols and mostly devoid of pre-Columbian elements (except for totemic animals that became attached to Christianity after the Conquest). Typically, in these dances the cock represents Pride, the dog Envy, the pig Greed, the female devil Lust, etc.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe exhibition in La Paz was stunning and dramatic. Each mask was meticulously installed against a dark black wall and strategically spotlighted so that it became alive. The whole effect was uncanny. The masks looked like 3D versions of my “Black Paintings,” a pastel paintings series I have been creating for ten years. This experience was a gift… I could hardly believe my good fortune!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eKnowing I was looking at the birth of a new series – I said as much to my companions as I remained behind while they explored other parts of the museum – I spent considerable time composing photographs. Consequently, I have enough reference material to create new pastel paintings in the studio for several years. The series, entitled “Bolivianos,” is arguably my strongest and most striking work to date.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Barbara Rachko","offers":[{"title":"58” x 38”","offer_id":47419959050529,"sku":null,"price":60000.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0792\/0589\/2385\/files\/OVERLORD---BOLIVIANOS.jpg?v=1715263480"},{"product_id":"raconteur-bolivianos-soft-pastel-on-sandpaper","title":"\"RACONTEUR - BOLIVIANOS\" Soft Pastel on Sandpaper","description":"\u003ch2 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003eBolivianos\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eIn reality the festive masks made of stucco or cloth which the dancers wear to cover their psychological masks of submission, indifference and self-inflicted censure, permit them to show their true faces. By virtue of this paradoxical covering to uncover, all the unconfessed desires, the repressed energies and the hidden resentments overflow in a torrent of color, movement and melody: a magnificent awakening of a sleeping culture.\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eMasks of the Bolivian Andes,\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eEditorial Equipus and Banco Mercantil\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eMy long-standing fascination with traditional masks took a leap forward in the spring of 2017 when I visited the National Museum of Ethnography and Folklore in La Paz, Bolivia. One particular exhibition on view, with more than fifty festival masks, was completely spell-binding.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe masks were old and had been crafted in Oruro, a former tin-mining center about 140 miles south of La Paz on the cold Altiplano (elevation 12,000’). Depicting important figures from Bolivian folklore traditions, the masks were created for use in Carnival celebrations that happen each year in late February or early March.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCarnival in Oruro revolves around three great dances. The dance of “The Incas” records the conquest and death of Atahualpa, the Inca emperor when the Spanish arrived in 1532. “The Morenada” dance was once assumed to represent black slaves who worked in the mines, but the truth is more complicated (and uncertain) since only mitayo Indians were permitted to do this work. The dance of “The Diablada” depicts Saint Michael fighting against Lucifer and the seven deadly sins. The latter were originally disguised in seven different masks derived from medieval Christian symbols and mostly devoid of pre-Columbian elements (except for totemic animals that became attached to Christianity after the Conquest). Typically, in these dances the cock represents Pride, the dog Envy, the pig Greed, the female devil Lust, etc.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe exhibition in La Paz was stunning and dramatic. Each mask was meticulously installed against a dark black wall and strategically spotlighted so that it became alive. The whole effect was uncanny. The masks looked like 3D versions of my “Black Paintings,” a pastel paintings series I have been creating for ten years. This experience was a gift… I could hardly believe my good fortune!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eKnowing I was looking at the birth of a new series – I said as much to my companions as I remained behind while they explored other parts of the museum – I spent considerable time composing photographs. Consequently, I have enough reference material to create new pastel paintings in the studio for several years. The series, entitled “Bolivianos,” is arguably my strongest and most striking work to date.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Barbara Rachko","offers":[{"title":"58” x 38”","offer_id":47420056437025,"sku":null,"price":60000.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0792\/0589\/2385\/files\/RACONTEUR---BOLIVIANOS.jpg?v=1715263646"},{"product_id":"the-enigma-bolivianos-soft-pastel-on-sandpaper","title":"\"THE ENIGMA - BOLIVIANOS\" Soft Pastel on Sandpaper","description":"\u003ch2 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003eBolivianos\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eIn reality the festive masks made of stucco or cloth which the dancers wear to cover their psychological masks of submission, indifference and self-inflicted censure, permit them to show their true faces. By virtue of this paradoxical covering to uncover, all the unconfessed desires, the repressed energies and the hidden resentments overflow in a torrent of color, movement and melody: a magnificent awakening of a sleeping culture.\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eMasks of the Bolivian Andes,\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eEditorial Equipus and Banco Mercantil\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eMy long-standing fascination with traditional masks took a leap forward in the spring of 2017 when I visited the National Museum of Ethnography and Folklore in La Paz, Bolivia. One particular exhibition on view, with more than fifty festival masks, was completely spell-binding.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe masks were old and had been crafted in Oruro, a former tin-mining center about 140 miles south of La Paz on the cold Altiplano (elevation 12,000’). Depicting important figures from Bolivian folklore traditions, the masks were created for use in Carnival celebrations that happen each year in late February or early March.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCarnival in Oruro revolves around three great dances. The dance of “The Incas” records the conquest and death of Atahualpa, the Inca emperor when the Spanish arrived in 1532. “The Morenada” dance was once assumed to represent black slaves who worked in the mines, but the truth is more complicated (and uncertain) since only mitayo Indians were permitted to do this work. The dance of “The Diablada” depicts Saint Michael fighting against Lucifer and the seven deadly sins. The latter were originally disguised in seven different masks derived from medieval Christian symbols and mostly devoid of pre-Columbian elements (except for totemic animals that became attached to Christianity after the Conquest). Typically, in these dances the cock represents Pride, the dog Envy, the pig Greed, the female devil Lust, etc.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe exhibition in La Paz was stunning and dramatic. Each mask was meticulously installed against a dark black wall and strategically spotlighted so that it became alive. The whole effect was uncanny. The masks looked like 3D versions of my “Black Paintings,” a pastel paintings series I have been creating for ten years. This experience was a gift… I could hardly believe my good fortune!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eKnowing I was looking at the birth of a new series – I said as much to my companions as I remained behind while they explored other parts of the museum – I spent considerable time composing photographs. Consequently, I have enough reference material to create new pastel paintings in the studio for several years. The series, entitled “Bolivianos,” is arguably my strongest and most striking work to date.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Barbara Rachko","offers":[{"title":"26” x 20”","offer_id":47420060205345,"sku":"","price":20000.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0792\/0589\/2385\/files\/THE-ENIGMA---BOLIVIANOS.jpg?v=1715263928"},{"product_id":"trickster-bolivianos-collection-soft-pastel-on-sandpaper","title":"\"TRICKSTER - BOLIVIANOS\" Soft Pastel on Sandpaper","description":"\u003ch2 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003eBolivianos\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eIn reality the festive masks made of stucco or cloth which the dancers wear to cover their psychological masks of submission, indifference and self-inflicted censure, permit them to show their true faces. By virtue of this paradoxical covering to uncover, all the unconfessed desires, the repressed energies and the hidden resentments overflow in a torrent of color, movement and melody: a magnificent awakening of a sleeping culture.\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eMasks of the Bolivian Andes,\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eEditorial Equipus and Banco Mercantil\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eMy long-standing fascination with traditional masks took a leap forward in the spring of 2017 when I visited the National Museum of Ethnography and Folklore in La Paz, Bolivia. One particular exhibition on view, with more than fifty festival masks, was completely spell-binding.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe masks were old and had been crafted in Oruro, a former tin-mining center about 140 miles south of La Paz on the cold Altiplano (elevation 12,000’). Depicting important figures from Bolivian folklore traditions, the masks were created for use in Carnival celebrations that happen each year in late February or early March.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCarnival in Oruro revolves around three great dances. The dance of “The Incas” records the conquest and death of Atahualpa, the Inca emperor when the Spanish arrived in 1532. “The Morenada” dance was once assumed to represent black slaves who worked in the mines, but the truth is more complicated (and uncertain) since only mitayo Indians were permitted to do this work. The dance of “The Diablada” depicts Saint Michael fighting against Lucifer and the seven deadly sins. The latter were originally disguised in seven different masks derived from medieval Christian symbols and mostly devoid of pre-Columbian elements (except for totemic animals that became attached to Christianity after the Conquest). Typically, in these dances the cock represents Pride, the dog Envy, the pig Greed, the female devil Lust, etc.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe exhibition in La Paz was stunning and dramatic. Each mask was meticulously installed against a dark black wall and strategically spotlighted so that it became alive. The whole effect was uncanny. The masks looked like 3D versions of my “Black Paintings,” a pastel paintings series I have been creating for ten years. This experience was a gift… I could hardly believe my good fortune!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eKnowing I was looking at the birth of a new series – I said as much to my companions as I remained behind while they explored other parts of the museum – I spent considerable time composing photographs. Consequently, I have enough reference material to create new pastel paintings in the studio for several years. The series, entitled “Bolivianos,” is arguably my strongest and most striking work to date.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Barbara Rachko","offers":[{"title":"26” x 20”","offer_id":47420066562337,"sku":null,"price":20000.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0792\/0589\/2385\/files\/TRICKSTER---BOLIVIANOS.jpg?v=1715264082"},{"product_id":"majordomo-bolivianos-soft-pastel-on-sandpaper","title":"\"MAJORDOMO - BOLIVIANOS\" Soft Pastel on Sandpaper","description":"\u003ch2 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003eBolivianos\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eIn reality the festive masks made of stucco or cloth which the dancers wear to cover their psychological masks of submission, indifference and self-inflicted censure, permit them to show their true faces. By virtue of this paradoxical covering to uncover, all the unconfessed desires, the repressed energies and the hidden resentments overflow in a torrent of color, movement and melody: a magnificent awakening of a sleeping culture.\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eMasks of the Bolivian Andes,\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eEditorial Equipus and Banco Mercantil\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eMy long-standing fascination with traditional masks took a leap forward in the spring of 2017 when I visited the National Museum of Ethnography and Folklore in La Paz, Bolivia. One particular exhibition on view, with more than fifty festival masks, was completely spell-binding.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe masks were old and had been crafted in Oruro, a former tin-mining center about 140 miles south of La Paz on the cold Altiplano (elevation 12,000’). Depicting important figures from Bolivian folklore traditions, the masks were created for use in Carnival celebrations that happen each year in late February or early March.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCarnival in Oruro revolves around three great dances. The dance of “The Incas” records the conquest and death of Atahualpa, the Inca emperor when the Spanish arrived in 1532. “The Morenada” dance was once assumed to represent black slaves who worked in the mines, but the truth is more complicated (and uncertain) since only mitayo Indians were permitted to do this work. The dance of “The Diablada” depicts Saint Michael fighting against Lucifer and the seven deadly sins. The latter were originally disguised in seven different masks derived from medieval Christian symbols and mostly devoid of pre-Columbian elements (except for totemic animals that became attached to Christianity after the Conquest). Typically, in these dances the cock represents Pride, the dog Envy, the pig Greed, the female devil Lust, etc.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe exhibition in La Paz was stunning and dramatic. Each mask was meticulously installed against a dark black wall and strategically spotlighted so that it became alive. The whole effect was uncanny. The masks looked like 3D versions of my “Black Paintings,” a pastel paintings series I have been creating for ten years. This experience was a gift… I could hardly believe my good fortune!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eKnowing I was looking at the birth of a new series – I said as much to my companions as I remained behind while they explored other parts of the museum – I spent considerable time composing photographs. Consequently, I have enough reference material to create new pastel paintings in the studio for several years. The series, entitled “Bolivianos,” is arguably my strongest and most striking work to date.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Barbara Rachko","offers":[{"title":"20” x 26”","offer_id":47420076425505,"sku":null,"price":20000.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0792\/0589\/2385\/files\/MAJORDOMO---BOLIVIANOS.jpg?v=1715263405"},{"product_id":"sentinels-bolivianos-soft-pastel-on-sandpaper","title":"\"SENTINELS - BOLIVIANOS\" Soft Pastel on Sandpaper","description":"\u003ch2 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003eBolivianos\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eIn reality the festive masks made of stucco or cloth which the dancers wear to cover their psychological masks of submission, indifference and self-inflicted censure, permit them to show their true faces. By virtue of this paradoxical covering to uncover, all the unconfessed desires, the repressed energies and the hidden resentments overflow in a torrent of color, movement and melody: a magnificent awakening of a sleeping culture.\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eMasks of the Bolivian Andes,\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eEditorial Equipus and Banco Mercantil\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eMy long-standing fascination with traditional masks took a leap forward in the spring of 2017 when I visited the National Museum of Ethnography and Folklore in La Paz, Bolivia. One particular exhibition on view, with more than fifty festival masks, was completely spell-binding.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe masks were old and had been crafted in Oruro, a former tin-mining center about 140 miles south of La Paz on the cold Altiplano (elevation 12,000’). Depicting important figures from Bolivian folklore traditions, the masks were created for use in Carnival celebrations that happen each year in late February or early March.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCarnival in Oruro revolves around three great dances. The dance of “The Incas” records the conquest and death of Atahualpa, the Inca emperor when the Spanish arrived in 1532. “The Morenada” dance was once assumed to represent black slaves who worked in the mines, but the truth is more complicated (and uncertain) since only mitayo Indians were permitted to do this work. The dance of “The Diablada” depicts Saint Michael fighting against Lucifer and the seven deadly sins. The latter were originally disguised in seven different masks derived from medieval Christian symbols and mostly devoid of pre-Columbian elements (except for totemic animals that became attached to Christianity after the Conquest). Typically, in these dances the cock represents Pride, the dog Envy, the pig Greed, the female devil Lust, etc.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe exhibition in La Paz was stunning and dramatic. Each mask was meticulously installed against a dark black wall and strategically spotlighted so that it became alive. The whole effect was uncanny. The masks looked like 3D versions of my “Black Paintings,” a pastel paintings series I have been creating for ten years. This experience was a gift… I could hardly believe my good fortune!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eKnowing I was looking at the birth of a new series – I said as much to my companions as I remained behind while they explored other parts of the museum – I spent considerable time composing photographs. Consequently, I have enough reference material to create new pastel paintings in the studio for several years. The series, entitled “Bolivianos,” is arguably my strongest and most striking work to date.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Barbara Rachko","offers":[{"title":"38” x 58”","offer_id":47420121514273,"sku":"","price":60000.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0792\/0589\/2385\/files\/SENTINELS---BOLIVIANOS.jpg?v=1715263725"},{"product_id":"poseur-bolivianos-soft-pastel-on-sandpaper","title":"\"POSEUR - BOLIVIANOS\" Soft Pastel on Sandpaper","description":"\u003ch2 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003eBolivianos\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eIn reality the festive masks made of stucco or cloth which the dancers wear to cover their psychological masks of submission, indifference and self-inflicted censure, permit them to show their true faces. By virtue of this paradoxical covering to uncover, all the unconfessed desires, the repressed energies and the hidden resentments overflow in a torrent of color, movement and melody: a magnificent awakening of a sleeping culture.\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eMasks of the Bolivian Andes,\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eEditorial Equipus and Banco Mercantil\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eMy long-standing fascination with traditional masks took a leap forward in the spring of 2017 when I visited the National Museum of Ethnography and Folklore in La Paz, Bolivia. One particular exhibition on view, with more than fifty festival masks, was completely spell-binding.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe masks were old and had been crafted in Oruro, a former tin-mining center about 140 miles south of La Paz on the cold Altiplano (elevation 12,000’). Depicting important figures from Bolivian folklore traditions, the masks were created for use in Carnival celebrations that happen each year in late February or early March.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCarnival in Oruro revolves around three great dances. The dance of “The Incas” records the conquest and death of Atahualpa, the Inca emperor when the Spanish arrived in 1532. “The Morenada” dance was once assumed to represent black slaves who worked in the mines, but the truth is more complicated (and uncertain) since only mitayo Indians were permitted to do this work. The dance of “The Diablada” depicts Saint Michael fighting against Lucifer and the seven deadly sins. The latter were originally disguised in seven different masks derived from medieval Christian symbols and mostly devoid of pre-Columbian elements (except for totemic animals that became attached to Christianity after the Conquest). Typically, in these dances the cock represents Pride, the dog Envy, the pig Greed, the female devil Lust, etc.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe exhibition in La Paz was stunning and dramatic. Each mask was meticulously installed against a dark black wall and strategically spotlighted so that it became alive. The whole effect was uncanny. The masks looked like 3D versions of my “Black Paintings,” a pastel paintings series I have been creating for ten years. This experience was a gift… I could hardly believe my good fortune!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eKnowing I was looking at the birth of a new series – I said as much to my companions as I remained behind while they explored other parts of the museum – I spent considerable time composing photographs. Consequently, I have enough reference material to create new pastel paintings in the studio for several years. The series, entitled “Bolivianos,” is arguably my strongest and most striking work to date.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Barbara Rachko","offers":[{"title":"58” x 38”","offer_id":47420140650785,"sku":null,"price":60000.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0792\/0589\/2385\/files\/POSEUR---BOLIVIANOS.jpg?v=1715263562"},{"product_id":"prophecy-bolivianos-soft-pastel-on-sandpaper","title":"\"PROPHECY - BOLIVIANOS\" Soft Pastel on Sandpaper","description":"\u003ch2 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003eBolivianos\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eIn reality the festive masks made of stucco or cloth which the dancers wear to cover their psychological masks of submission, indifference and self-inflicted censure, permit them to show their true faces. By virtue of this paradoxical covering to uncover, all the unconfessed desires, the repressed energies and the hidden resentments overflow in a torrent of color, movement and melody: a magnificent awakening of a sleeping culture.\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eMasks of the Bolivian Andes,\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eEditorial Equipus and Banco Mercantil\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eMy long-standing fascination with traditional masks took a leap forward in the spring of 2017 when I visited the National Museum of Ethnography and Folklore in La Paz, Bolivia. One particular exhibition on view, with more than fifty festival masks, was completely spell-binding.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe masks were old and had been crafted in Oruro, a former tin-mining center about 140 miles south of La Paz on the cold Altiplano (elevation 12,000’). Depicting important figures from Bolivian folklore traditions, the masks were created for use in Carnival celebrations that happen each year in late February or early March.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCarnival in Oruro revolves around three great dances. The dance of “The Incas” records the conquest and death of Atahualpa, the Inca emperor when the Spanish arrived in 1532. “The Morenada” dance was once assumed to represent black slaves who worked in the mines, but the truth is more complicated (and uncertain) since only mitayo Indians were permitted to do this work. The dance of “The Diablada” depicts Saint Michael fighting against Lucifer and the seven deadly sins. The latter were originally disguised in seven different masks derived from medieval Christian symbols and mostly devoid of pre-Columbian elements (except for totemic animals that became attached to Christianity after the Conquest). Typically, in these dances the cock represents Pride, the dog Envy, the pig Greed, the female devil Lust, etc.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe exhibition in La Paz was stunning and dramatic. Each mask was meticulously installed against a dark black wall and strategically spotlighted so that it became alive. The whole effect was uncanny. The masks looked like 3D versions of my “Black Paintings,” a pastel paintings series I have been creating for ten years. This experience was a gift… I could hardly believe my good fortune!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eKnowing I was looking at the birth of a new series – I said as much to my companions as I remained behind while they explored other parts of the museum – I spent considerable time composing photographs. Consequently, I have enough reference material to create new pastel paintings in the studio for several years. The series, entitled “Bolivianos,” is arguably my strongest and most striking work to date.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Barbara Rachko","offers":[{"title":"58” x 38”","offer_id":47420146319649,"sku":null,"price":60000.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0792\/0589\/2385\/files\/PROPHECY---BOLIVIANOS.jpg?v=1715263599"},{"product_id":"viceroy-bolivianos-soft-pastel-on-sandpaper","title":"\"VICEROY - BOLIVIANOS\" Soft Pastel on Sandpaper","description":"\u003ch2 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003eBolivianos\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eIn reality the festive masks made of stucco or cloth which the dancers wear to cover their psychological masks of submission, indifference and self-inflicted censure, permit them to show their true faces. By virtue of this paradoxical covering to uncover, all the unconfessed desires, the repressed energies and the hidden resentments overflow in a torrent of color, movement and melody: a magnificent awakening of a sleeping culture.\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eMasks of the Bolivian Andes,\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eEditorial Equipus and Banco Mercantil\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eMy long-standing fascination with traditional masks took a leap forward in the spring of 2017 when I visited the National Museum of Ethnography and Folklore in La Paz, Bolivia. One particular exhibition on view, with more than fifty festival masks, was completely spell-binding.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe masks were old and had been crafted in Oruro, a former tin-mining center about 140 miles south of La Paz on the cold Altiplano (elevation 12,000’). Depicting important figures from Bolivian folklore traditions, the masks were created for use in Carnival celebrations that happen each year in late February or early March.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCarnival in Oruro revolves around three great dances. The dance of “The Incas” records the conquest and death of Atahualpa, the Inca emperor when the Spanish arrived in 1532. “The Morenada” dance was once assumed to represent black slaves who worked in the mines, but the truth is more complicated (and uncertain) since only mitayo Indians were permitted to do this work. The dance of “The Diablada” depicts Saint Michael fighting against Lucifer and the seven deadly sins. The latter were originally disguised in seven different masks derived from medieval Christian symbols and mostly devoid of pre-Columbian elements (except for totemic animals that became attached to Christianity after the Conquest). Typically, in these dances the cock represents Pride, the dog Envy, the pig Greed, the female devil Lust, etc.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe exhibition in La Paz was stunning and dramatic. Each mask was meticulously installed against a dark black wall and strategically spotlighted so that it became alive. The whole effect was uncanny. The masks looked like 3D versions of my “Black Paintings,” a pastel paintings series I have been creating for ten years. This experience was a gift… I could hardly believe my good fortune!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eKnowing I was looking at the birth of a new series – I said as much to my companions as I remained behind while they explored other parts of the museum – I spent considerable time composing photographs. Consequently, I have enough reference material to create new pastel paintings in the studio for several years. The series, entitled “Bolivianos,” is arguably my strongest and most striking work to date.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Barbara Rachko","offers":[{"title":"26” x 20”","offer_id":47420158542113,"sku":null,"price":20000.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0792\/0589\/2385\/files\/VICEROY---BOLIVIANOS.jpg?v=1715264121"},{"product_id":"shamanic-bolivianos-soft-pastel-on-sandpaper","title":"\"SHAMANIC - BOLIVIANOS\" Soft Pastel on Sandpaper","description":"\u003ch2 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003eBolivianos\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eIn reality the festive masks made of stucco or cloth which the dancers wear to cover their psychological masks of submission, indifference and self-inflicted censure, permit them to show their true faces. By virtue of this paradoxical covering to uncover, all the unconfessed desires, the repressed energies and the hidden resentments overflow in a torrent of color, movement and melody: a magnificent awakening of a sleeping culture.\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eMasks of the Bolivian Andes,\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eEditorial Equipus and Banco Mercantil\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eMy long-standing fascination with traditional masks took a leap forward in the spring of 2017 when I visited the National Museum of Ethnography and Folklore in La Paz, Bolivia. One particular exhibition on view, with more than fifty festival masks, was completely spell-binding.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe masks were old and had been crafted in Oruro, a former tin-mining center about 140 miles south of La Paz on the cold Altiplano (elevation 12,000’). Depicting important figures from Bolivian folklore traditions, the masks were created for use in Carnival celebrations that happen each year in late February or early March.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCarnival in Oruro revolves around three great dances. The dance of “The Incas” records the conquest and death of Atahualpa, the Inca emperor when the Spanish arrived in 1532. “The Morenada” dance was once assumed to represent black slaves who worked in the mines, but the truth is more complicated (and uncertain) since only mitayo Indians were permitted to do this work. The dance of “The Diablada” depicts Saint Michael fighting against Lucifer and the seven deadly sins. The latter were originally disguised in seven different masks derived from medieval Christian symbols and mostly devoid of pre-Columbian elements (except for totemic animals that became attached to Christianity after the Conquest). Typically, in these dances the cock represents Pride, the dog Envy, the pig Greed, the female devil Lust, etc.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe exhibition in La Paz was stunning and dramatic. Each mask was meticulously installed against a dark black wall and strategically spotlighted so that it became alive. The whole effect was uncanny. The masks looked like 3D versions of my “Black Paintings,” a pastel paintings series I have been creating for ten years. This experience was a gift… I could hardly believe my good fortune!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eKnowing I was looking at the birth of a new series – I said as much to my companions as I remained behind while they explored other parts of the museum – I spent considerable time composing photographs. Consequently, I have enough reference material to create new pastel paintings in the studio for several years. The series, entitled “Bolivianos,” is arguably my strongest and most striking work to date.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Barbara Rachko","offers":[{"title":"26\" x 20\"","offer_id":47420167913761,"sku":"","price":20000.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0792\/0589\/2385\/files\/SHAMANIC---BOLIVIANOS.jpg?v=1715263838"},{"product_id":"oracle-bolivianos-soft-pastel-on-sandpaper","title":"\"ORACLE - BOLIVIANOS\" Soft Pastel on Sandpaper","description":"\u003ch2 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003eBolivianos\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eIn reality the festive masks made of stucco or cloth which the dancers wear to cover their psychological masks of submission, indifference and self-inflicted censure, permit them to show their true faces. By virtue of this paradoxical covering to uncover, all the unconfessed desires, the repressed energies and the hidden resentments overflow in a torrent of color, movement and melody: a magnificent awakening of a sleeping culture.\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eMasks of the Bolivian Andes,\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eEditorial Equipus and Banco Mercantil\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eMy long-standing fascination with traditional masks took a leap forward in the spring of 2017 when I visited the National Museum of Ethnography and Folklore in La Paz, Bolivia. One particular exhibition on view, with more than fifty festival masks, was completely spell-binding.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe masks were old and had been crafted in Oruro, a former tin-mining center about 140 miles south of La Paz on the cold Altiplano (elevation 12,000’). Depicting important figures from Bolivian folklore traditions, the masks were created for use in Carnival celebrations that happen each year in late February or early March.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCarnival in Oruro revolves around three great dances. The dance of “The Incas” records the conquest and death of Atahualpa, the Inca emperor when the Spanish arrived in 1532. “The Morenada” dance was once assumed to represent black slaves who worked in the mines, but the truth is more complicated (and uncertain) since only mitayo Indians were permitted to do this work. The dance of “The Diablada” depicts Saint Michael fighting against Lucifer and the seven deadly sins. The latter were originally disguised in seven different masks derived from medieval Christian symbols and mostly devoid of pre-Columbian elements (except for totemic animals that became attached to Christianity after the Conquest). Typically, in these dances the cock represents Pride, the dog Envy, the pig Greed, the female devil Lust, etc.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe exhibition in La Paz was stunning and dramatic. Each mask was meticulously installed against a dark black wall and strategically spotlighted so that it became alive. The whole effect was uncanny. The masks looked like 3D versions of my “Black Paintings,” a pastel paintings series I have been creating for ten years. This experience was a gift… I could hardly believe my good fortune!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eKnowing I was looking at the birth of a new series – I said as much to my companions as I remained behind while they explored other parts of the museum – I spent considerable time composing photographs. Consequently, I have enough reference material to create new pastel paintings in the studio for several years. The series, entitled “Bolivianos,” is arguably my strongest and most striking work to date.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Barbara Rachko","offers":[{"title":"26” x 20”","offer_id":47420176269601,"sku":"","price":20000.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0792\/0589\/2385\/files\/ORACLE---BOLIVIANOS.jpg?v=1715263444"},{"product_id":"the-orator-bolivianos-soft-pastel-on-sandpaper","title":"\"THE ORATOR - BOLIVIANOS\" Soft Pastel on Sandpaper","description":"\u003ch2 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003eBolivianos\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eIn reality the festive masks made of stucco or cloth which the dancers wear to cover their psychological masks of submission, indifference and self-inflicted censure, permit them to show their true faces. By virtue of this paradoxical covering to uncover, all the unconfessed desires, the repressed energies and the hidden resentments overflow in a torrent of color, movement and melody: a magnificent awakening of a sleeping culture.\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eMasks of the Bolivian Andes,\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eEditorial Equipus and Banco Mercantil\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eMy long-standing fascination with traditional masks took a leap forward in the spring of 2017 when I visited the National Museum of Ethnography and Folklore in La Paz, Bolivia. One particular exhibition on view, with more than fifty festival masks, was completely spell-binding.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe masks were old and had been crafted in Oruro, a former tin-mining center about 140 miles south of La Paz on the cold Altiplano (elevation 12,000’). Depicting important figures from Bolivian folklore traditions, the masks were created for use in Carnival celebrations that happen each year in late February or early March.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCarnival in Oruro revolves around three great dances. The dance of “The Incas” records the conquest and death of Atahualpa, the Inca emperor when the Spanish arrived in 1532. “The Morenada” dance was once assumed to represent black slaves who worked in the mines, but the truth is more complicated (and uncertain) since only mitayo Indians were permitted to do this work. The dance of “The Diablada” depicts Saint Michael fighting against Lucifer and the seven deadly sins. The latter were originally disguised in seven different masks derived from medieval Christian symbols and mostly devoid of pre-Columbian elements (except for totemic animals that became attached to Christianity after the Conquest). Typically, in these dances the cock represents Pride, the dog Envy, the pig Greed, the female devil Lust, etc.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe exhibition in La Paz was stunning and dramatic. Each mask was meticulously installed against a dark black wall and strategically spotlighted so that it became alive. The whole effect was uncanny. The masks looked like 3D versions of my “Black Paintings,” a pastel paintings series I have been creating for ten years. This experience was a gift… I could hardly believe my good fortune!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eKnowing I was looking at the birth of a new series – I said as much to my companions as I remained behind while they explored other parts of the museum – I spent considerable time composing photographs. Consequently, I have enough reference material to create new pastel paintings in the studio for several years. The series, entitled “Bolivianos,” is arguably my strongest and most striking work to date.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Barbara Rachko","offers":[{"title":"38” x 58”","offer_id":47420184133921,"sku":"","price":60000.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0792\/0589\/2385\/files\/THE-ORATOR---BOLIVIANOS.jpg?v=1715264042"},{"product_id":"the-champ-bolivianos-soft-pastel-on-sandpaper","title":"\"THE CHAMP - BOLIVIANOS\" Soft Pastel on Sandpaper","description":"\u003ch2 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003eBolivianos\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eIn reality the festive masks made of stucco or cloth which the dancers wear to cover their psychological masks of submission, indifference and self-inflicted censure, permit them to show their true faces. By virtue of this paradoxical covering to uncover, all the unconfessed desires, the repressed energies and the hidden resentments overflow in a torrent of color, movement and melody: a magnificent awakening of a sleeping culture.\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\" style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eMasks of the Bolivian Andes,\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eEditorial Equipus and Banco Mercantil\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eMy long-standing fascination with traditional masks took a leap forward in the spring of 2017 when I visited the National Museum of Ethnography and Folklore in La Paz, Bolivia. One particular exhibition on view, with more than fifty festival masks, was completely spell-binding.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe masks were old and had been crafted in Oruro, a former tin-mining center about 140 miles south of La Paz on the cold Altiplano (elevation 12,000’). Depicting important figures from Bolivian folklore traditions, the masks were created for use in Carnival celebrations that happen each year in late February or early March.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCarnival in Oruro revolves around three great dances. The dance of “The Incas” records the conquest and death of Atahualpa, the Inca emperor when the Spanish arrived in 1532. “The Morenada” dance was once assumed to represent black slaves who worked in the mines, but the truth is more complicated (and uncertain) since only mitayo Indians were permitted to do this work. The dance of “The Diablada” depicts Saint Michael fighting against Lucifer and the seven deadly sins. The latter were originally disguised in seven different masks derived from medieval Christian symbols and mostly devoid of pre-Columbian elements (except for totemic animals that became attached to Christianity after the Conquest). Typically, in these dances the cock represents Pride, the dog Envy, the pig Greed, the female devil Lust, etc.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe exhibition in La Paz was stunning and dramatic. Each mask was meticulously installed against a dark black wall and strategically spotlighted so that it became alive. The whole effect was uncanny. The masks looked like 3D versions of my “Black Paintings,” a pastel paintings series I have been creating for ten years. This experience was a gift… I could hardly believe my good fortune!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eKnowing I was looking at the birth of a new series – I said as much to my companions as I remained behind while they explored other parts of the museum – I spent considerable time composing photographs. Consequently, I have enough reference material to create new pastel paintings in the studio for several years. The series, entitled “Bolivianos,” is arguably my strongest and most striking work to date.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Barbara Rachko","offers":[{"title":"26” x 20”","offer_id":47420188229921,"sku":"","price":20000.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0792\/0589\/2385\/files\/THE-CHAMP---BOLIVIANOS.jpg?v=1715263882"},{"product_id":"disruptor-bolivianos-soft-pastel-on-sandpaper","title":"\"DISRUPTOR - BOLIVIANOS\" Soft Pastel on Sandpaper","description":"\u003ch2 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003eBolivianos\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eIn reality the festive masks made of stucco or cloth which the dancers wear to cover their psychological masks of submission, indifference and self-inflicted censure, permit them to show their true faces. By virtue of this paradoxical covering to uncover, all the unconfessed desires, the repressed energies and the hidden resentments overflow in a torrent of color, movement and melody: a magnificent awakening of a sleeping culture.\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eMasks of the Bolivian Andes,\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eEditorial Equipus and Banco Mercantil\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eMy long-standing fascination with traditional masks took a leap forward in the spring of 2017 when I visited the National Museum of Ethnography and Folklore in La Paz, Bolivia. One particular exhibition on view, with more than fifty festival masks, was completely spell-binding.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe masks were old and had been crafted in Oruro, a former tin-mining center about 140 miles south of La Paz on the cold Altiplano (elevation 12,000’). Depicting important figures from Bolivian folklore traditions, the masks were created for use in Carnival celebrations that happen each year in late February or early March.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCarnival in Oruro revolves around three great dances. The dance of “The Incas” records the conquest and death of Atahualpa, the Inca emperor when the Spanish arrived in 1532. “The Morenada” dance was once assumed to represent black slaves who worked in the mines, but the truth is more complicated (and uncertain) since only mitayo Indians were permitted to do this work. The dance of “The Diablada” depicts Saint Michael fighting against Lucifer and the seven deadly sins. The latter were originally disguised in seven different masks derived from medieval Christian symbols and mostly devoid of pre-Columbian elements (except for totemic animals that became attached to Christianity after the Conquest). Typically, in these dances the cock represents Pride, the dog Envy, the pig Greed, the female devil Lust, etc.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe exhibition in La Paz was stunning and dramatic. Each mask was meticulously installed against a dark black wall and strategically spotlighted so that it became alive. The whole effect was uncanny. The masks looked like 3D versions of my “Black Paintings,” a pastel paintings series I have been creating for ten years. This experience was a gift… I could hardly believe my good fortune!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eKnowing I was looking at the birth of a new series – I said as much to my companions as I remained behind while they explored other parts of the museum – I spent considerable time composing photographs. Consequently, I have enough reference material to create new pastel paintings in the studio for several years. The series, entitled “Bolivianos,” is arguably my strongest and most striking work to date.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Barbara Rachko","offers":[{"title":"26” x 20”","offer_id":47426702115105,"sku":"","price":20000.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0792\/0589\/2385\/files\/DISRUPTOR---BOLIVIANOS.jpg?v=1715263272"},{"product_id":"entity-bolivianos-soft-pastel-on-sandpaper","title":"\"ENTITY - BOLIVIANOS\" Soft Pastel on Sandpaper","description":"\u003ch2 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003eBolivianos\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eIn reality the festive masks made of stucco or cloth which the dancers wear to cover their psychological masks of submission, indifference and self-inflicted censure, permit them to show their true faces. By virtue of this paradoxical covering to uncover, all the unconfessed desires, the repressed energies and the hidden resentments overflow in a torrent of color, movement and melody: a magnificent awakening of a sleeping culture.\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eMasks of the Bolivian Andes,\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eEditorial Equipus and Banco Mercantil\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eMy long-standing fascination with traditional masks took a leap forward in the spring of 2017 when I visited the National Museum of Ethnography and Folklore in La Paz, Bolivia. One particular exhibition on view, with more than fifty festival masks, was completely spell-binding.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe masks were old and had been crafted in Oruro, a former tin-mining center about 140 miles south of La Paz on the cold Altiplano (elevation 12,000’). Depicting important figures from Bolivian folklore traditions, the masks were created for use in Carnival celebrations that happen each year in late February or early March.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCarnival in Oruro revolves around three great dances. The dance of “The Incas” records the conquest and death of Atahualpa, the Inca emperor when the Spanish arrived in 1532. “The Morenada” dance was once assumed to represent black slaves who worked in the mines, but the truth is more complicated (and uncertain) since only mitayo Indians were permitted to do this work. The dance of “The Diablada” depicts Saint Michael fighting against Lucifer and the seven deadly sins. The latter were originally disguised in seven different masks derived from medieval Christian symbols and mostly devoid of pre-Columbian elements (except for totemic animals that became attached to Christianity after the Conquest). Typically, in these dances the cock represents Pride, the dog Envy, the pig Greed, the female devil Lust, etc.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe exhibition in La Paz was stunning and dramatic. Each mask was meticulously installed against a dark black wall and strategically spotlighted so that it became alive. The whole effect was uncanny. The masks looked like 3D versions of my “Black Paintings,” a pastel paintings series I have been creating for ten years. This experience was a gift… I could hardly believe my good fortune!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eKnowing I was looking at the birth of a new series – I said as much to my companions as I remained behind while they explored other parts of the museum – I spent considerable time composing photographs. Consequently, I have enough reference material to create new pastel paintings in the studio for several years. The series, entitled “Bolivianos,” is arguably my strongest and most striking work to date.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Barbara Rachko","offers":[{"title":"26” x 20”","offer_id":47426711617825,"sku":null,"price":20000.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0792\/0589\/2385\/files\/ENTITY---BOLIVIANOS.jpg?v=1715263312"},{"product_id":"impresario-bolivianos-soft-pastel-on-sandpaper","title":"\"IMPRESARIO - BOLIVIANOS\" Soft Pastel on Sandpaper","description":"\u003ch2 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003eBolivianos\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eIn reality the festive masks made of stucco or cloth which the dancers wear to cover their psychological masks of submission, indifference and self-inflicted censure, permit them to show their true faces. By virtue of this paradoxical covering to uncover, all the unconfessed desires, the repressed energies and the hidden resentments overflow in a torrent of color, movement and melody: a magnificent awakening of a sleeping culture.\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eMasks of the Bolivian Andes,\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eEditorial Equipus and Banco Mercantil\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eMy long-standing fascination with traditional masks took a leap forward in the spring of 2017 when I visited the National Museum of Ethnography and Folklore in La Paz, Bolivia. One particular exhibition on view, with more than fifty festival masks, was completely spell-binding.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe masks were old and had been crafted in Oruro, a former tin-mining center about 140 miles south of La Paz on the cold Altiplano (elevation 12,000’). Depicting important figures from Bolivian folklore traditions, the masks were created for use in Carnival celebrations that happen each year in late February or early March.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCarnival in Oruro revolves around three great dances. The dance of “The Incas” records the conquest and death of Atahualpa, the Inca emperor when the Spanish arrived in 1532. “The Morenada” dance was once assumed to represent black slaves who worked in the mines, but the truth is more complicated (and uncertain) since only mitayo Indians were permitted to do this work. The dance of “The Diablada” depicts Saint Michael fighting against Lucifer and the seven deadly sins. The latter were originally disguised in seven different masks derived from medieval Christian symbols and mostly devoid of pre-Columbian elements (except for totemic animals that became attached to Christianity after the Conquest). Typically, in these dances the cock represents Pride, the dog Envy, the pig Greed, the female devil Lust, etc.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe exhibition in La Paz was stunning and dramatic. Each mask was meticulously installed against a dark black wall and strategically spotlighted so that it became alive. The whole effect was uncanny. The masks looked like 3D versions of my “Black Paintings,” a pastel paintings series I have been creating for ten years. This experience was a gift… I could hardly believe my good fortune!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eKnowing I was looking at the birth of a new series – I said as much to my companions as I remained behind while they explored other parts of the museum – I spent considerable time composing photographs. Consequently, I have enough reference material to create new pastel paintings in the studio for several years. The series, entitled “Bolivianos,” is arguably my strongest and most striking work to date.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Barbara Rachko","offers":[{"title":"58” x 38”","offer_id":47426725904673,"sku":"","price":60000.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0792\/0589\/2385\/files\/IMPRESARIO---BOLIVIANOS.jpg?v=1715263351"},{"product_id":"avenger-bolivianos-soft-pastel-on-sandpaper","title":"\"AVENGER - BOLIVIANOS\" Soft Pastel on Sandpaper","description":"\u003ch2 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003eBolivianos\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eIn reality the festive masks made of stucco or cloth which the dancers wear to cover their psychological masks of submission, indifference and self-inflicted censure, permit them to show their true faces. By virtue of this paradoxical covering to uncover, all the unconfessed desires, the repressed energies and the hidden resentments overflow in a torrent of color, movement and melody: a magnificent awakening of a sleeping culture.\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eMasks of the Bolivian Andes,\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eEditorial Equipus and Banco Mercantil\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eMy long-standing fascination with traditional masks took a leap forward in the spring of 2017 when I visited the National Museum of Ethnography and Folklore in La Paz, Bolivia. One particular exhibition on view, with more than fifty festival masks, was completely spell-binding.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe masks were old and had been crafted in Oruro, a former tin-mining center about 140 miles south of La Paz on the cold Altiplano (elevation 12,000’). Depicting important figures from Bolivian folklore traditions, the masks were created for use in Carnival celebrations that happen each year in late February or early March.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCarnival in Oruro revolves around three great dances. The dance of “The Incas” records the conquest and death of Atahualpa, the Inca emperor when the Spanish arrived in 1532. “The Morenada” dance was once assumed to represent black slaves who worked in the mines, but the truth is more complicated (and uncertain) since only mitayo Indians were permitted to do this work. The dance of “The Diablada” depicts Saint Michael fighting against Lucifer and the seven deadly sins. The latter were originally disguised in seven different masks derived from medieval Christian symbols and mostly devoid of pre-Columbian elements (except for totemic animals that became attached to Christianity after the Conquest). Typically, in these dances the cock represents Pride, the dog Envy, the pig Greed, the female devil Lust, etc.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe exhibition in La Paz was stunning and dramatic. Each mask was meticulously installed against a dark black wall and strategically spotlighted so that it became alive. The whole effect was uncanny. The masks looked like 3D versions of my “Black Paintings,” a pastel paintings series I have been creating for ten years. This experience was a gift… I could hardly believe my good fortune!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eKnowing I was looking at the birth of a new series – I said as much to my companions as I remained behind while they explored other parts of the museum – I spent considerable time composing photographs. Consequently, I have enough reference material to create new pastel paintings in the studio for several years. The series, entitled “Bolivianos,” is arguably my strongest and most striking work to date.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Barbara Rachko","offers":[{"title":"58” x 38”","offer_id":47426791735585,"sku":null,"price":60000.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0792\/0589\/2385\/files\/AVENGER---BOLIVIANOS.jpg?v=1715263192"},{"product_id":"acolytes-bolivianos-soft-pastel-on-sandpaper","title":"\"ACOLYTES - BOLIVIANOS\" Soft Pastel on Sandpaper","description":"\u003ch2 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003eBolivianos\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eIn reality the festive masks made of stucco or cloth which the dancers wear to cover their psychological masks of submission, indifference and self-inflicted censure, permit them to show their true faces. By virtue of this paradoxical covering to uncover, all the unconfessed desires, the repressed energies and the hidden resentments overflow in a torrent of color, movement and melody: a magnificent awakening of a sleeping culture.\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eMasks of the Bolivian Andes,\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eEditorial Equipus and Banco Mercantil\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eMy long-standing fascination with traditional masks took a leap forward in the spring of 2017 when I visited the National Museum of Ethnography and Folklore in La Paz, Bolivia. One particular exhibition on view, with more than fifty festival masks, was completely spell-binding.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe masks were old and had been crafted in Oruro, a former tin-mining center about 140 miles south of La Paz on the cold Altiplano (elevation 12,000’). Depicting important figures from Bolivian folklore traditions, the masks were created for use in Carnival celebrations that happen each year in late February or early March.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCarnival in Oruro revolves around three great dances. The dance of “The Incas” records the conquest and death of Atahualpa, the Inca emperor when the Spanish arrived in 1532. “The Morenada” dance was once assumed to represent black slaves who worked in the mines, but the truth is more complicated (and uncertain) since only mitayo Indians were permitted to do this work. The dance of “The Diablada” depicts Saint Michael fighting against Lucifer and the seven deadly sins. The latter were originally disguised in seven different masks derived from medieval Christian symbols and mostly devoid of pre-Columbian elements (except for totemic animals that became attached to Christianity after the Conquest). Typically, in these dances the cock represents Pride, the dog Envy, the pig Greed, the female devil Lust, etc.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe exhibition in La Paz was stunning and dramatic. Each mask was meticulously installed against a dark black wall and strategically spotlighted so that it became alive. The whole effect was uncanny. The masks looked like 3D versions of my “Black Paintings,” a pastel paintings series I have been creating for ten years. This experience was a gift… I could hardly believe my good fortune!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eKnowing I was looking at the birth of a new series – I said as much to my companions as I remained behind while they explored other parts of the museum – I spent considerable time composing photographs. Consequently, I have enough reference material to create new pastel paintings in the studio for several years. The series, entitled “Bolivianos,” is arguably my strongest and most striking work to date.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Barbara Rachko","offers":[{"title":"38” x 58”","offer_id":47426822045985,"sku":null,"price":60000.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0792\/0589\/2385\/files\/ACOLYTES---BOLIVIANOS.jpg?v=1715263155"},{"product_id":"danzante-bolivianos-soft-pastel-on-sandpaper","title":"\"DANZANTE - BOLIVIANOS\" Soft Pastel on Sandpaper","description":"\u003ch2 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003eBolivianos\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eIn reality the festive masks made of stucco or cloth which the dancers wear to cover their psychological masks of submission, indifference and self-inflicted censure, permit them to show their true faces. By virtue of this paradoxical covering to uncover, all the unconfessed desires, the repressed energies and the hidden resentments overflow in a torrent of color, movement and melody: a magnificent awakening of a sleeping culture.\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eMasks of the Bolivian Andes,\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eEditorial Equipus and Banco Mercantil\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eMy long-standing fascination with traditional masks took a leap forward in the spring of 2017 when I visited the National Museum of Ethnography and Folklore in La Paz, Bolivia. One particular exhibition on view, with more than fifty festival masks, was completely spell-binding.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe masks were old and had been crafted in Oruro, a former tin-mining center about 140 miles south of La Paz on the cold Altiplano (elevation 12,000’). Depicting important figures from Bolivian folklore traditions, the masks were created for use in Carnival celebrations that happen each year in late February or early March.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCarnival in Oruro revolves around three great dances. The dance of “The Incas” records the conquest and death of Atahualpa, the Inca emperor when the Spanish arrived in 1532. “The Morenada” dance was once assumed to represent black slaves who worked in the mines, but the truth is more complicated (and uncertain) since only mitayo Indians were permitted to do this work. The dance of “The Diablada” depicts Saint Michael fighting against Lucifer and the seven deadly sins. The latter were originally disguised in seven different masks derived from medieval Christian symbols and mostly devoid of pre-Columbian elements (except for totemic animals that became attached to Christianity after the Conquest). Typically, in these dances the cock represents Pride, the dog Envy, the pig Greed, the female devil Lust, etc.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe exhibition in La Paz was stunning and dramatic. Each mask was meticulously installed against a dark black wall and strategically spotlighted so that it became alive. The whole effect was uncanny. The masks looked like 3D versions of my “Black Paintings,” a pastel paintings series I have been creating for ten years. This experience was a gift… I could hardly believe my good fortune!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eKnowing I was looking at the birth of a new series – I said as much to my companions as I remained behind while they explored other parts of the museum – I spent considerable time composing photographs. Consequently, I have enough reference material to create new pastel paintings in the studio for several years. The series, entitled “Bolivianos,” is arguably my strongest and most striking work to date.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Barbara Rachko","offers":[{"title":"38” x 58”","offer_id":47426860974369,"sku":null,"price":60000.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0792\/0589\/2385\/files\/DANZANTE---BOLIVIANOS.jpg?v=1715263232"},{"product_id":"merging-original-print-mixed-media-ink-drawing","title":"'MERGING' Original Print, Mixed Media Ink Drawing","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe artwork titled 'Merging' by Camille Brack is a highly dynamic and visually complex digital or mixed-media piece that fuses elements of geometric abstraction with expressive line work. The composition is a riot of color and pattern, with a base layer of bold, saturated blocks of color segmented into grid-like formations. These primary structures seem to take inspiration from the color field painting or the geometric abstractions of the early 20th century.\u003cbr\u003eOverlaid upon this structured backdrop is a network of energetic, neon lines that zigzag and swirl across the canvas in a seemingly random and frenetic fashion. These lines are reminiscent of electronic circuitry or the spontaneous marks of graffiti, suggesting motion and the flow of energy.\u003cbr\u003eThe palette is electric, with bright neon greens, blues, yellows, and reds that stand out sharply against the darker sections of the composition. The colors appear to vibrate against one another, enhancing the sense of movement and adding a psychedelic quality to the piece.\u003cbr\u003eThe title 'Merging' could refer to the blending of these two distinct visual styles—the orderly and the chaotic—as well as the fusion of traditional painting techniques with digital or contemporary methods. The result is a piece that is at once modern and evocative of various artistic movements.\u003cbr\u003eThis artwork engages the viewer's senses and challenges their perception, offering a visual experience that is both immersive and disorienting. It is a celebration of color, line, and the possibilities of combining various elements into a cohesive whole that remains open to interpretation.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Camille Brack","offers":[{"title":"32'' x 32''","offer_id":47496252064033,"sku":null,"price":3800.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0792\/0589\/2385\/files\/MERGING_f583060e-04fa-4099-b79c-de04256b3a6f.jpg?v=1715534999"},{"product_id":"broken-heart-vase-face-in-original-print-mixed-media-ink-drawing","title":"'BROKEN HEART VASE FACE' Original Print, Mixed Media Ink Drawing","description":"The artwork titled 'BROKEN HEART VASE FACE' by Camille Brack appears to be a visual play on the Rubin vase, which is a famous example of a bistable perceptual phenomenon where the brain switches between seeing a vase and two faces in profile. In this variation, the 'vase' is stylized to resemble a broken heart, with the top appearing as if it has been cleaved in two, and the bottom tapering down in a manner that could also be interpreted as the bottom of a heart.\u003cbr\u003eThe use of color is quite striking, with what appears to be a salmon pink background that contrasts with the central figures, which are in a bold teal or turquoise. The outlines and interior lines of the figures are done in a red or coral hue, possibly alluding to the theme of a 'broken heart.' The composition is symmetrical, and the artwork has a mirrored effect with the image repeated on both the top and bottom halves.\u003cbr\u003eThe style of the piece is modern and simplistic, relying on the power of contour lines and solid color fills without the presence of shading or gradient. It's a mixed media ink drawing, which suggests that it may incorporate different textural qualities or layering techniques in its physical form.\u003cbr\u003eOverall, the piece offers an immediate visual impact through its use of color and form, and engages the viewer with its optical illusion that toggles between the image of a vase and faces.\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Camille Brack","offers":[{"title":"23'' x 33''","offer_id":47496265892129,"sku":null,"price":3300.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0792\/0589\/2385\/files\/BROKEN-HEART-VASE-FACE.jpg?v=1715535027"},{"product_id":"cow-bells-or-dragon-boat-what-do-you-see-in-original-print-mixed-media-ink-drawing","title":"'COW BELLS OR DRAGON BOAT, WHAT DO YOU SEE?' Original Print, Mixed Media Ink Drawing","description":"The piece titled 'COW BELLS OR DRAGON BOAT, WHAT DO YOU SEE?' is an intriguing example of ambiguous imagery and perceptual duality, akin to the concept of a visual pun where the interpretation can shift between two distinct images based on the observer's perception. This style is reminiscent of traditional thematic ambiguity in art, where the image can be seen in multiple ways depending on the viewer's perspective and interpretation.\u003cbr\u003eThe artwork is created through a monochromatic palette, employing a stark contrast between black and white to delineate forms and patterns. The central area of the image is dense with intricate, symmetrical patterns that could be interpreted as either the ornate decoration of dragon boat prows or the detailed textural surface of cowbells. The surrounding space is filled with dot patterns and line motifs that contribute to the overall rhythm of the composition, possibly mimicking the water's surface for the dragon boat interpretation or the pastoral setting for the cowbells.\u003cbr\u003eThe medium of mixed media ink drawing indicates that the artist may have used a combination of ink drawing techniques, possibly including stippling, hatching, and cross-hatching to create texture, depth, and shading. The original print aspect of the work suggests that this is a piece meant for reproduction, which might involve printmaking techniques such as etching, engraving, or lithography.\u003cbr\u003eOverall, the artwork is an exploration of form and abstraction that invites the viewer to oscillate between different visual narratives, engaging with the artwork on a perceptual and cognitive level.\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Camille Brack","offers":[{"title":"33'' x 46''","offer_id":47496270119201,"sku":null,"price":3800.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0792\/0589\/2385\/files\/COW-BELLS-OR-DRAGON-BOAT_-WHAT-DO-YOU-SEE.jpg?v=1715535055"},{"product_id":"electric-rose-heart-original-print-mixed-media-drawing","title":"'ELECTRIC ROSE HEART' Original Print, Mixed Media Drawing","description":"The artwork titled 'ELECTRIC ROSE HEART' by Camille Brack appears to be an abstract composition that plays with the idea of visual layering and electric, vibrant color schemes. This mixed media piece may incorporate a combination of traditional drawing and digital manipulation, as suggested by the juxtaposition of line work and what appears to be pixelation or digital artifacts.\u003cbr\u003eThe visual texture of the piece is complex, featuring a multitude of overlapping lines and forms that create a sense of depth and movement. The color palette is dominated by dark hues with luminous accents of electric blue and neon green, which could evoke the feeling of a dynamic, energetic pulse, aligning with the title's suggestion of 'electricity.'\u003cbr\u003eIn the realm of form, the piece seems to defy straightforward interpretation, encouraging the viewer to search for recognizable shapes within the visual cacophony. The title hints at the presence of a 'rose' and a 'heart,' which could suggest that within the abstract forms, there may be hidden or stylized representations of these elements.\u003cbr\u003eOverall, the artwork offers a visual experience that is both intense and enigmatic, inviting the viewer to explore the interplay between digital and traditional media, and to engage with the work in a search for personal meaning or resonance.\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Camille Brack","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47496281751841,"sku":null,"price":3800.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0792\/0589\/2385\/files\/ELECTRIC-ROSE-HEART.jpg?v=1715535079"},{"product_id":"flower-bears-original-print-mixed-media-digital-and-ink-drawing","title":"'FLOWER BEARS' Original Print, Mixed Media Digital and Ink Drawing","description":"The artwork titled 'FLOWER BEARS' by Camille Brack is a vibrant and highly patterned piece that utilizes the technique of symmetry and repetition to create a kaleidoscopic effect. This original print likely employs mixed media, which could include a combination of hand-drawn elements with digital enhancements or collaged materials.\u003cbr\u003eThe composition is characterized by its mirror-image repetition, forming a quilt-like tapestry of colors and shapes that suggest a psychedelic or dreamlike quality. The central motifs may resemble stylized representations of flowers and bears, though the high level of abstraction and color saturation could make these figures appear more as complex, interlocking patterns than as literal depictions.\u003cbr\u003eColor plays a significant role in this piece, with a spectrum of bold, almost fluorescent hues juxtaposed against deep, saturated blacks. These contrasts, along with the intricate detailing, contribute to the visual intensity and energy of the artwork.\u003cbr\u003eThe title 'FLOWER BEARS' invites the viewer to discern the possibly hidden or abstracted forms of flowers and bears within the complex arrangement, adding an element of discovery to the viewing experience.\u003cbr\u003eOverall, the piece is a dynamic and engaging work that combines elements of traditional printmaking with modern techniques to create a unique visual experience that is open to interpretation and rich in detail.\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Camille Brack","offers":[{"title":"33'' x 46''","offer_id":47496300429601,"sku":null,"price":3900.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0792\/0589\/2385\/files\/FLOWER-BEARS.jpg?v=1715535122"},{"product_id":"fractal-animals-original-print-mixed-media-drawing","title":"'FRACTAL ANIMALS' Original Print, Mixed Media Drawing","description":"The piece titled 'FRACTAL ANIMALS' by Camille Brack is an original print that seems to delve into the digital art genre, particularly focusing on the visual effects of glitch art and fractal aesthetics. The image is characterized by its digital disruption, with horizontal lines and bars of bright, contrasting colors that interrupt and fragment the visual field, creating a sense of corrupted digital data or signal loss.\u003cbr\u003eIn the realm of fractals, the artwork may be exploring the theme of repeated patterns that are self-similar across different scales, a common characteristic of fractal geometry. These patterns could be interpreted as abstract representations of animals, suggested by the title, which are echoed and varied throughout the composition, creating a sense of infinite complexity and detail.\u003cbr\u003eThe use of vibrant, almost neon colors contributes to the artwork's dynamic and energetic feel. The colors are not blended but are rather presented in stark juxtaposition to each other, which can create a vibrating visual effect where the eye is drawn to the interplay between the hues.\u003cbr\u003eThe mixed media aspect of the drawing suggests that there may be traditional elements of drawing involved, possibly overlaid or intertwined with digital manipulation techniques. This combination can result in a multi-layered artwork that blurs the lines between the hand-crafted and the computer-generated.\u003cbr\u003eOverall, 'FRACTAL ANIMALS' presents a visually stimulating experience, with a strong digital influence that speaks to contemporary issues of technology, data, and the interpretation of nature through the lens of digital media. The piece likely engages the viewer in a dialogue about the relationship between organic forms and their digital representations, as well as the interplay between order and chaos.\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Camille Brack","offers":[{"title":"33'' x 46''","offer_id":47496305443105,"sku":null,"price":3800.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0792\/0589\/2385\/files\/FRACTAL-ANIMALS.jpg?v=1715535153"},{"product_id":"h-original-print-mixed-media-drawing","title":"'H.' Original Print, Mixed Media Drawing","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe artwork titled 'H.' by Camille Brack presents a monochromatic exploration in shades of green, creating an atmosphere that is at once mysterious and soothing. This original print, possibly produced through mixed media drawing, demonstrates an interplay of geometric and organic shapes that converge to form a symmetrical, almost mandala-like design.\u003cbr\u003eIn the use of a single hue, the artist delves into the study of value and tone, using gradations of green to define shapes and create depth. The central part of the composition, which might be thematically tied to the title 'H.', could be interpreted as an abstract or stylized letter 'H' or another form of hieroglyph. This character appears to float above or emerge from the background, suggesting a sense of dimensionality.\u003cbr\u003eThe surrounding patterns have a rhythmic quality, with elements that repeat and mirror each other, contributing to the overall balance and harmony of the piece. The use of light and dark contrasts not only emphasizes the form but also imbues the work with a certain luminosity, as if the image is glowing from within or illuminated by an unseen light source.\u003cbr\u003eThis piece may also evoke a sense of digital or technological influence, as the smooth transitions of tone and the precision of the shapes can suggest computer-generated imagery or digital manipulation. However, the title 'H.' remains enigmatic, inviting viewers to ponder its significance and the role it plays in the context of the artwork.\u003cbr\u003eOverall, 'H.' is a contemplative and aesthetically focused work that plays with symmetry, abstraction, and the emotive power of color. It invites an introspective response, where the viewer is encouraged to find personal meaning in the interplay of form and hue.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Camille Brack","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47496312357153,"sku":null,"price":3900.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0792\/0589\/2385\/files\/RARE-BEAUTY-TWINS_8194ac1f-8e3e-49f6-9fe5-44b80d5259ea.jpg?v=1715535186"},{"product_id":"red-eye-original-print-mixed-media-drawing","title":"'RED EYE ' Original Print, Mixed Media Drawing","description":"The artwork titled 'RED EYE' by Camille Brack appears to be a complex collage of images overlaid and repeated to create a tapestry of visual motifs. This original print, likely a mixed media drawing, combines photographic elements with graphic patterns, set against a starkly contrasting color palette dominated by shades of purple, blue, and accents of bright pink which may symbolize the 'red' in its title.\u003cbr\u003eAt first glance, the viewer's attention is drawn to the repeated motif of eyes, which are rendered with realistic detail and imbued with a sense of watching or being watched. This repetition of the human gaze creates a sense of multiplicity and intensity. The eyes are interspersed with what looks like abstracted facial features, perhaps hinting at a fragmented representation of identity or emotion.\u003cbr\u003eThe background and surrounding space are filled with textural elements that resemble crumpled fabric or paper, providing a rich, tactile contrast to the smoothness of the eyes. The presence of vertical lines and bars adds a digital or glitch-like quality to the piece, suggesting a fusion of the organic with the technological.\u003cbr\u003eColor is used strategically to create rhythm and focus within the piece. The use of cool tones is offset by the warmth of the pink, which could represent the 'Red Eye' of the title, perhaps alluding to the redness associated with fatigue or emotional distress.\u003cbr\u003eThe overall effect is one of surreal juxtapositions, where the human elements are both highlighted and obscured by the abstract patterns and bold colors. The artwork challenges the viewer to make sense of the chaos, to find order in the disarray, and to interpret the emotional undercurrents suggested by the title and imagery.\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Camille Brack","offers":[{"title":"33'' x 46''","offer_id":47496316944673,"sku":null,"price":3800.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0792\/0589\/2385\/files\/FINDING-MYSELF_4d65cbd4-e1c6-496e-8519-9102673ac7fc.jpg?v=1715535213"},{"product_id":"where-are-you-why-it-must-be-another-planet-original-print-mixed-media-drawing","title":"'WHERE ARE YOU, WHY IT MUST BE ANOTHER PLANET' Original Print, Mixed Media Drawing","description":"The artwork titled 'WHERE ARE YOU, WHY IT MUST BE ANOTHER PLANET' by Camille Brack is a compelling piece that seems to blend elements of writing and image to create a narrative within the visual field. This mixed media drawing utilizes a technique that suggests the layering of images over a lined paper background, reminiscent of notebook paper, which may signify the underlying theme of personal reflection or intimate thought.\u003cbr\u003eThe color palette is quite psychedelic, with hues that overlap and create a sort of visual vibration or digital glitch effect. This could be indicative of the emotional turbulence or the otherworldly theme suggested by the title. The use of lined paper as a background adds a touch of the mundane and everyday, contrasting sharply with the surreal and abstract quality of the overlaid images.\u003cbr\u003eScribbled, handwritten text contributes to the impression of spontaneity and introspection. The question posed by the title is visually represented by the chaotic and fragmented imagery, which might symbolize disconnection, searching, or the feeling of being lost in an unfamiliar environment.\u003cbr\u003eThe hearts that are repeated throughout the composition could be representative of love, longing, or the emotional centers of our being. Their distortion and the blending of their outlines with the rest of the visual elements suggest a sense of dissolution or transformation.\u003cbr\u003eOverall, the piece appears to be an exploration of inner space, emotional landscapes, and the questioning of one's place in the universe. The juxtaposition of the personal (handwritten text and hearts) with the cosmic (suggested by the title's reference to another planet) creates a dialogue between the intimate and the infinite.\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Camille Brack","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47496457748769,"sku":null,"price":3800.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0792\/0589\/2385\/files\/RARE-BEAUTY_8168f0fd-d670-4bec-895b-3a82c8056bab.jpg?v=1715535240"},{"product_id":"green-tara","title":"'GREEN TARA'","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eGreen Tara extends her compassionate embrace to all beings, offering solace and protection, and guiding them on a path from suffering to spiritual liberation.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eGreen Tara, a compassionate deity, embodies a nurturing presence always ready to offer comfort and shield against physical, mental, and spiritual suffering. Recognized as the mother of all Buddhas, Tara holds the role of a bodhisattva, dedicating her existence to alleviating the suffering of all sentient beings. The vibrant green color adorning her signifies the awakening of Buddha nature within every being. With a gentle, smiling countenance, she gazes upon all sentient beings with a mother's affection, empowering and eagerly assisting in removing obstacles and accomplishing activities related to Buddha Teachings.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eIn her right hand, Tara delicately holds the utpala flower, symbolizing purity and realization. Similarly, on her left-hand side, another utpala flower is cradled. The union of two fingers touching signifies the harmony of great compassion and wisdom, while the three upright fingers on her left hand represent taking refuge in the Three Jewels: Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha. With her right foot gracefully extended, Tara remains ever-ready to stand up and aid sentient beings in relieving their sufferings. According to Buddhist tradition, Tara's origin traces back to a tear shed by Avalokiteshvara, another Bodhisattva, emphasizing her embodiment of compassion for all beings.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Boudha Stupa Thanka Center","offers":[{"title":"70 x 52 cm","offer_id":47501324484897,"sku":null,"price":13250.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0792\/0589\/2385\/files\/GREEN-TARA_407c0bfc-dcc1-46e2-a7f7-b53f63ee9b34.jpg?v=1715265066"},{"product_id":"wheel-of-life","title":"'WHEEL OF LIFE'","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eThe Wheel Life The Wheel of Life is a symbolic representation of all beings in the realm of samsara. It is a large circle with interconnected sections. At the wheel's center are a pig, a snake, and a rooster representing the three root poisons of ignorance, attachment, and aversion, symbolizing the causes of suffering and the perpetuation of the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth. The wheel is divided into six realms, representing the different realms of existence: the gods, demigods, humans, animals, hungry ghosts, and hell beings. The Wheel of Life serves as a reminder of the Buddhist teachings on the Four Noble Truths and the Twelve Links of Dependent Origination. It enables practitioners to understand the nature of suffering, the impermanence of phenomena, and the importance of cultivating wisdom and compassion.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Boudha Stupa Thanka Center","offers":[{"title":"94 x 71 cm","offer_id":47510750920993,"sku":null,"price":6500.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0792\/0589\/2385\/files\/WHEEL-OF-LIFE.jpg?v=1715265368"}],"url":"https:\/\/apricus-art-collection.myshopify.com\/collections\/figurative.oembed","provider":"Apricus Art Collection","version":"1.0","type":"link"}