1996 - 2008, clay, string, 100" l x 80" w
Roses made with corn starch are a tradition in Colombia, which my mother taught me in 1992. It was such an exciting medium with so much meaning and resonance. I made multiple installations with hundreds of clay roses inspired by my mother.
Chandelier, gold leaf, gold plated jewelry chain, brass beads, glass beads, velvet, 15' l x 6' dia.
2008, frescoes, chair, alabaster beads, glass beads,
amulets, chains, brocade 7’ l x 7’ w x 4’ h
”Symbolic objects imbued with spirituality, idolatry and power including gold, beads, jewels, medals, stones, altars and offerings are pervasive though out Esperanza Cortes’ sculptures. Through her work these articles of faith, both secular and religious, challenge the rites and rights that accompany them. In “What Was Left” Cortes examines the incarnation of religious, cultural and political ideologies that shape our experiences as individuals and communities.
Witnesses to the influences of unquestioned conviction, her iconoclastic sculptures guide us through worlds of dogma and doctrine revealing the malleability of embodied beliefs—words made flesh and stone. Through a deconstruction of the architectural and ecclesiastical foundations upon which social constructs are built such as gender, race, ethics and status, Cortes explores the unsustainable utopian visions they can create. Exposing the reality behind unwavering systems of belief and collective behavior, her work is a profound testament to the fragility and vulnerability of society and its effect upon us.”
-Curator Christine Licata
2008, chairs, pearl necklaces, rings, knitting needles, glass beads, metal beads 48” x 36” x 22”
1999, frescoes, beaded rope, beaded clay sculptures, glass beads, chains, clay, wood, glass, 13’ h x 3 1/2’ dia.
“Esperanza Cortes’s labor -intensive Sculptures are based on chains stitched from tiny glass beads. One piece, suspended From the ceiling and hung with handmade amulets and charms, has a dense but attenuated presence.”
-Holland Cotter, The New York Times
2008, glass beads on clay, bottle, mirrors, cow jaw bone silver ladle, compass, encaustic on wood, 20” h x 48” l x 24” d
Clay, altar, beads, ribbons, 48” x 24” x 36”
In the desire to become a citizen of the developed world, we shed important personal and ancestral history to acclimate to this culture, often giving up the best parts of ourselves.
Doll crib, ladder, ribbon, glass beads, pigment, 60" h x 20" w x 28" d
2009, glass beads on clay, mirror, base, 10' h x 44” diameter
This installation is inspired by the obsession with beauty and plastic surgery in our culture.