26
CHILE
Paula Salas
My North 1998
mixed media on canvas board with twigs,
stones, and sand 100 x 100 cm

Paula Salas was born in Chile in 1962 and lives in Vitacura, Santiago. The artist comments: ‘My interest is focused on the problem of identity for the Chilean people. My quest through art is to capture a sense of our origins. Hence, I have been inspired by the cosmic vision of the primitive peoples of northern Chile.’ The painting is in mixed media, including tempera, acrylic, pigment, and natural materials such as sand, stones, and twigs. The artist’s aim is to create a strong design which captures something of the semi-magical and ritual nature of ancient Indian art. The gritty textures, glowing colours, and bold imagery (suggestive of a settlement, a boat, a mountainous landscape, sunlight, and heat) make a powerful visual statement.