Lo Dejo Todo
This body of work is titled after a lyric from a love song by Los Ponchos called “Si Tù Me Dices Ven.” The song conveys the urgency of leaving everything behind to be with a loved one, overcoming obstacles, and sharing both pain and joy—an act described as one’s salvation. It is a song Frankmarlin’s grandmother would sing to them when apart, separated by land and sea. The song was a profession of desire for things to change in the face of difficulty and distance. The works in space reposition material in a way that speaks to that kind of longing, placing distant objects alongside each other to illustrate the strangeness and clumsiness of wanting. This installation evokes these emotions through the depiction of everyday encounters, isolating and transforming these moments into sculptural objects.
The sculptural works within the show are further complicated by material choices, floral arrangements from past funeral services, and plastic tarp sheeting that once covered the christopher columbus statue, speak to the function of mourning and the constant vigilance of coloniality. Overall, the work encourages looking at memory as a physical entity made up of different tangible and intangible elements to fully grasp its complexity.
The Scholarly Project Fund and the MFA On the Ground Fund at Carnegie Mellon University
partially funded Lo Dejo Todo.