Vanessa Navarrete
Region: Midwest
My new work deals with my sense of powerlessness against global issues facing the world right now, like climate destruction, war, surveillance, and the current pandemic. I use latex paint with various mixed media like collage, oil, and enamel to create a sense of immediacy and to “imprint” my reaction onto the canvas. I often listen to the news just before painting in order to connect with my feelings about what is happening in the moment. The sense of having little to no control to effect change is infuriating, physically upsetting, and emotionally dealt with through the act of making art.