To step into my studio in Nevada City is to step into a dialogue with the ancient and the elemental. Surrounded by the dense canopy of the Sierra Nevada and the persistent, roaring chorus of a nearby creek, my creative process has undergone a profound transformation. As a Chicano artist, I am not merely an observer of this landscape; I am a translator of its energy.
My latest work, recently acquired for the permanent collection of the Santa Clara Valley Medical Association and curated by 1Culture, is the culmination of this immersion. At first glance, the viewer may see the vibrant greens and deep shadows of the forest floor. But look closer, and the earth begins to breathe.
The Presence of Tlali Nantli
Embedded within the textures of the brushwork is the figure of Tlali Nantli, the Earth Goddess. She is not merely on the canvas; she is the architecture of the landscape itself. In my work, the female form and the earth are inseparable—her curves are the banks of the creek, her spirit is the roots of the cedar trees.
By embedding Tlali Nantli into this Nevada City landscape, I am reclaiming the wilderness through a Chicano lens. I am asserting that the “wild” is not an empty space to be conquered, but a living, feminine entity that demands reverence and provides healing. This connection is why the piece’s placement within a medical facility is so significant. In a space dedicated to recovery and science, the presence of the Earth Goddess offers a different kind of medicine—a reminder of our primordial connection to the ground beneath our feet.
From the Wild to the Institutional
The journey of this painting—from the solitude of a forest studio to a permanent institutional collection—is a testament to the power of cultural perspective. Through the curation of 1Culture, this piece brings the raw, “roaring” energy of the Sierra Nevada into the structured environment of the Santa Clara Valley.
This is more than a landscape; it is a manifestation of Tlali Nantli’s enduring power, captured in a moment of stillness and shared with a community in need of her strength.