The Queen Bee, Me
and
The Comb
Self Portrait (2016)
Screen print; ink on paper
Weighing in at a mere 10 ounces of cardiac muscle, the human heart is the most powerful organ in the human body. The mechanism works non-stop, circulating and oxygenating blood through the lungs, capillaries, veins, arteries, atriums, and ventricles. Most astounding of all, it is an organ that operates and contracts entirely by electrical pulses generated in its sinoatrial node. The muscle is also able to experience joy, sorrow, fear, disgust, and anger, and then works with the brain to formulate ideas based on those premises. The biology, spirituality, and sentiments of the human heart are my interest. As a young artist, life has brought about circumstances where my heart has been tested, broken, and brought absolute, indescribable joy.
As an artist, an imprint of each emotion is left on the works I produce. The art produced by an artist reflects the sentiments, values, and state of their heart. The Proverbs instruct us to guard our heart, "for everything [we] do flows from it" (Proverbs 4:23). For the sake of simplification, the heart is the chamber where feeling(s) originate, which then becomes a manifested thought or action. While the manner in which feelings come into existence is out of one’s control, the choice to act on those feelings is within reach. This leaves an individual with the choice to act on natural sentiments with either good or bad means. Artists especially have this choice, and the product of their choice is displayed by what they produce.
Despite its craftsmanship, the heart is an organ that can be broken. Chordae tendinae, often referred to as "heartstrings," can tear when the body undergoes intense emotional distress, just as thread breaks under tension. The threads in textile fabrics can be broken in the same way, but can also be repaired and bound stronger than originally woven. Working with textiles has become a healing and therapeutic art form for me. Feeling the fabric's fibers and watching them as they pass under the foot of a sewing machine repairs the broken and torn areas of my own heart.
While humans can only tend to torn fabric, there is One who can tend to torn and broken hearts. Christ is the ultimate tailor who can take the aching heart of an individual and repair the tears like new. Brokeness can come from all aspects of life, relationships, circumstances, etc, all humans have some sort of brokenness. The most dire in need of repair is that of the brokenness that sin results in. Because of sin, we are broken individuals living in a broken world. The author of Psalm 51:10 pleads for a new and pure heart to be created within them. The verse is a plea of restoration to the Creator that made the heart of the author, a restoration and salvation only He can bring forth. Only God can take the broken and make it whole again.
My name is Chloe Salazar.
And though having inherited my particular last name, I am not a member of the Slytherin House or a notable Spanish explorer.
What I am, however, is a lover - A lover of Christ, my family, and art. In that order, too. I love my Creator because He has given me the ability to create like He does. I love my family because they love me unconditionally and have supported my journey as an artist. And I love art because it is my voice, my friend, and the tie to my anchor, God. Whether you hire, commission, or befriend me, my passion and honesty are part of the deal.
As a Christian artist, I strive to guide my heart to create works that are pleasing to the heart of my Creator. This means creating with the same intentions as He does: with love, joy, patience, kindness, truth, and goodness.
As a disciple of Christ, it is my responsibility to be a Christ-like example for others and to profess the salvation that the power and righteousness of the Savior brings to everyone. My work should be an artifact that is made in light of the Gospel message. My service and love should be a mirror that reflects the Savior's heart.
I seek to understand the perfect Creator so I may make works that explore the complexities that God creates and void of those that are immoral in form or topic. Creating is also my form of worship for my Creator – a physical exclamation of my wonder, gratitude, fear, and love for Him.
The graphite pencil and paintbrush are natural extensions of my right hand as the fictitious Mr. Todd's tonsorial razor blade is in his. While I do not indulge in the decapitation of the heads of London’s citizens, I create drawings and paintings from the deep passion within my heart. As the pencil glides upon the paper, and the brush sails amidst the canvas, my soul delights in the very caressing of the tool in my hand. As an artist, drawing and painting are my first loves; they are my confidants - my "faithful friends."
Much of my painting and drawing features reoccurring images of anatomy. I believe the human body to be one of the most impressive entities in the physical world. Imagine a mechanism that operates without a battery, but within itself is able to self-sufficiently produce electrical pulses and chemical reactions that produce all kinds of contractions, movements, and functions.
Clay has the ability to reflect the state of the soul, heart, or mind of an individual who sculpts it. In both uses of the word (imprint), I have made physical impressions on clay and have also come to recognize it as an object of trust. It is the mirror of my internal joy or distress. It is one of many mediums that I have come to enjoy expression through because of its ability to be molded into practically any form, extending horizontally or vertically. Apart from such a quality, clay is also a material that becomes stronger under extreme heat. For humans, trials and sufferings are the heat of life, and have the ability to fortify a person’s physical and emotional strength after experiencing suffering.
Genesis 2:7 poetically describes the manner in which mankind was made by God. It is written that humankind was formed from the dust of the Earth and then given life by receiving His breath. Humans can only create a form from clay/dirt, but not bring it to life as the divine Sculptor can. According to Scripture, God/the Lord is subject to joy (Psalm 30:5, Genesis ), sorrow (John 11:35), fear (Luke 22:24), disgust (Matthew 21:12-13), and anger (Exodus 32:10-11), and He acts and creates accordingly to those sentiments.
For humans, while the manner in which feelings come into existence is out of one’s control, the choice to act on those feelings is within reach. This leaves an individual with the choice to act on natural sentiments with either good or bad means. Artists especially have this choice, and the product of their choice is displayed by what they produce. While art is a form of expression and an act of liberation, it has the potential to be polluted by immorality because humans with imperfect hearts make it. However, because of His perfect nature, God creates in a perfect and just manner compared to the fickle ways in which human nature impedes creativity and action. As creative as art may be, it should be bound by ethics and morality in its topic and form. This distinction is what differentiates the worldly artist from the artist who works to please God and what should act as a compass to the latter.
My concept of the gallery space as a honeycomb was inspired by a graphic design project I created back during my time at university. It was a project that required the student to create a resume and cover letter theme/heading that had a theme in common. I chose the honeycomb.
Honey is made through the fermentation of nectar. Nectar can be collected from various sources. Orange blossoms, avocado blossoms, wildflowers, and many other plants produce different nectars. Bees collect nectar from these sources and bring it back to their comb. Bees live in hexagonal houses called honeycombs that double as honey-storing and making factories. Depending on the nectar collected by the bees in the hive, the honey varies in color and taste. These honey factories are not like those from the Industrial Revolution, but rather they are some of the most efficient and pollution-less factories on earth. Not a single drop of nectar collected or honey produced is wasted or thrown away.
Now, apply that same concept to the relationship between an artist and a gallery. The artist lives their life collecting and learning from experiences, the nectar. The artist takes that nectar, ferments it, and makes art, the honey. Because experiences are different and unique, the art made from each experience varies too. Each artwork is not a waste of nectar or honey, but each is a unique concoction and variation of the nectars the artist collected. When that art is made, it is stored in the gallery, like bees store their honey in their comb.