Natasha Fortson
Visual Artist, Curator


Reimagining Heirarchies
A take on the Baroque method of proving the extistence of Divine Energy through art


During my time in Puebla, Mexico in Summer of ‘22, I spent a lot of time studying the transitions from Mesoamerican life to current ways of being in Latin America - specifically in Mexico. 

I was interested to see how the baroque era used tactics of beauty, art, and celebrating creativity to create a hierarchal system and manage to convince and colonize with its supposed truth-spreading. Turning everything into an art object made it easy to solidify the power and “holiness” of the Spanish kingdom as well as the existence of God to people who already had an established system of beliefs (and distract from the violence happening in the process).

Using the same tactics of creating a new reality out of individual belief, I reimagine hierarchies in reference to our relationship with nature. In my research, first, I let nature take its course and then decide what I want to do with it. Using a mixture of mediums, processes, experiments, and textures, I create symbols sourced from studies of nature to create a reality of supreme power. The power to heal, to grow, to expand, to die, to be reborn are all divine parts of nature that could be replicated in our own lives to reach a place of freedom. 


Explorations

Plaster Tiles, Feet, Vase, Beans


Naturally Dyed Tapestry, ‘23


Paper Tiles / Pigments painted on glass


Wooden Sculpture / Stained with Agua de Jamaica, Turmeric, & Wine


Canvas Scraps turned into studies of form, color, texture





 Vessels, cacti, flowers, texture