Mariluz Garcia ’27
The Act of Healing from Trauma Seen in Guadalupe Maravilla’s Retablos
During my lunch break, I would often look at the artwork on display in the galleries of the Brooklyn Museum. On the first floor, next to the ever-popular Virgil Abloh: Figures of Speech, was Guadalupe Maravilla’s Tierra Blanca Joven. His sculptural work was the main focus of the exhibit. With four sculptures entitled Disease Throwers, it was easy to miss the retablos hanging from the walls. However, although they were significantly smaller than the other artworks, they stuck with me the most after leaving the exhibit. Wanting to see more of his work, I looked for his other retablos. Out of the twenty-three retablos shown on his website, I believe that the retablos I am sending love to my eight year old self (2021) and On 12.12.13 I had a surgery (2021) encapsulate Guadalupe Maravilla’s thoughts about healing from trauma through art and spirituality.
I am sending love to my eight year old self is a composition that consists of bright oranges that are contrasted by subtle hints of blue. In the center of the piece is a boy huddled next to a white dog. They are laying in what appears to be the back seat of a car. Next to them is a cake with a candle that says “0,” a bottle of liquor floating on a cloud, and a black armored figure looking down at both of them. There is text underneath the painting describing Guadalupe Maravilla’s immigration journey at the age of eight and how he is sending love and thanks to himself.
Similarly, the cake motif and theme of gratitude are present in On 12.12.13 I had a surgery. In this retablo, there is a faceless figure holding a cake, surrounded by different kinds of birds that are both mystical and real. The figure is wearing a hospital gown and lying on a hospital bed. The background is an empty blue sky that has hands holding a woodwind instrument. The text underneath describes Maravilla’s portrayal of overcoming cancer as a form of rebirth. Both artworks are paintings that sit inside a wooden frame that has decorative icicles of cotton around the border.
In understanding what makes both these artworks the pinnacle of Maravilla’s message, it is helpful to start by understanding what a retablo is. Since their introduction in Latin America during Spanish colonial rule, retablos have been commissioned by people as a sign of gratitude to saints for being present during difficult life experiences. Their existence in the various cultures of Latin America demonstrate the significance of the role of spirituality and religion in the everyday lives of people (Pineda).
When looking at Maravilla’s retablos, there’s no depiction of a saint. Although the black floating figure in I am sending love to my eight year old self could be seen as a sort of higher power, Maravilla is reflecting on his immigration experience as a child and thanking his “spirit animals” for being present. Similarly, in conversation with the Brooklyn Museum, Maravilla didn’t see cancer as a negative thing, but rather as a moment in which he could learn something valuable. This mindset of learning from trauma is also portrayed in On 12.12.13 I had a surgery though the use of words such as “rebirth.” This allows viewers to see how challenges in life do not always have to be seen as something negative. In creating this artwork as a retablo rather than a regular painting, Guadalupe Maravilla maintains the spiritual and historical significance associated with this art form while openly talking about the experiences that shaped the way he views healing.
As we view Maravilla’s work, understanding the extent to which these experiences influence his creative process is also important. In Wilderness of Mirrors, Neil Gaiman writes about portraiture: “…they are the ways we understand who we are: the place we came from, the people we were” (472). Despite the fact that Maravilla’s work is not portraiture, the concept of storytelling stays the same. Maravilla’s immigration journey from El Salvador at the age of eight is the main influence for I am sending love to my eight year old self. The description of having to cross various types of terrains and being passed from one coyote to the next reminds me of my own family members and friends who have spoken about their immigration experience. Not everyone is able to openly talk about their immigration as openly Maravilla does. The same can be said about his battle with colon cancer.
In the description of On 12.12.13 I had a surgery, Maravilla discusses how his triumph over the illness marks his “rebirth” and his new identity. Here, he also mentions the Virgin of Guadalupe—the only saint mentioned in all 23 of his retablos. Having been raised by Catholic Mexican immigrant parents, I’ve always viewed the Virgin of Guadalupe as a cultural and highly venerated icon. After reading about how influential her image is to other Latin Americans, including Guadalupe Maravilla, the artwork becomes a mirror reflecting my own personal connection with this saint. Regardless, his spiritual beliefs remain different to that of traditional organized religions. In relation to emotional trauma, Maravilla sees it similarly, if not the same, as physical illness. He believes that his experience as a child refugee and this emotional trauma from this stage in his life manifested as cancer in his adult years (Remick and Wu). Given that there is no resentment sensed in his writing in each artwork, the act of “sending love” and “adopting” names are all methods in which he demonstrates the importance of these major life changing events.
Once we understand that Maravilla’s art is filled with gratitude, it is worth noting that these artworks were created following a retracing of his migration. During this re-tracing, Maravilla met Daniel Vilchis, a fourth generation Mexican retablo painter. Their collaborative work on the retablos highlight the idea that Maravilla’s experience is a cross-cultural one (P.P.O.W Gallery). Life’s challenges are inevitable, and healing from them is a time-consuming process. I tend to see through my parents. Despite having immigrated from Mexico in the 90’s, their stories exemplify their resilience through their choice to make lives for themselves in the U.S, while having to carrying the guilt of leaving behind their entire families.
Vulnerability and opening up to people is not an easy task. Through Guadalupe Maravilla’s retablos, art becomes a space in which we can be vulnerable without judgement. In Imagination and the Healing Arts, Maxine Greene writes about art: “To release the imagination too is to release the power of empathy, to become more present to those around, perhaps to care” (4). Calling for empathy from others is usually what people think of when it comes to working through trauma. Having room to empathize with yourself, however, is essential in growing and learning from the experience. This is what leads us to care for ourselves and for others.
Works Cited
Gaiman, Neil. “Wilderness of Mirrors.” The View from the Cheap Seats. 2016. mylearning.suny.edu/d2l/le/dropbox/629614/1613397/DownloadAttachment?fid=45743585
Greene, Maxine. “Imagination and the Healing Arts.” Maxine Greene. 2007. https://maxinegreene.org/uploads/library/imagination_ha.pdf
Maravilla, Guadalupe. I am sending love to my eight year old self. 2021.—. On.12.12.13 I had a surgery. 2021.
Mindscapes. “Guadalupe Maravilla in Conversation with Mindscapes.” Brooklyn Museum. 2022. https://www.brooklynmuseum.org/exhibitions/guadalupe_maravilla
Pineda, Ana Maria. “Imagenes de Dios en el camino: retablos, ex-votos, milagritos, and murals.” Theological Studies. Sage Publications. 2004. https://go.gale.com/ps/i.do?p=AONE&u=purchase&id=GALE%7CA117774720&v=2.1&it=r&aty=ip
P.P.O.W. Gallery. “Guadalupe Maravilla Seven Ancestral Stomachs” P.P.O.W. Gallery. 2021. https://www.ppowgallery.com/exhibitions/guadalupe-maravilla#tab:thumbnails;tab-1:slideshow
Remick, Rachel and Wu, Simon. “Forms of Care: Guadalupe Maravilla’s Disease Thrower #5 and Circle Serpent.” Post Notes in a Global Context. 2020. https://post.moma.org/forms-of-care-guadalupe-maravilla-s-disease-thrower-5-and-circle-serpent/