The series Deshuesadero (Junkyard), by Edgardo Aragon, is made up of abstract paintings made with iron oxide on canvas. The pigment used by the artist was made from auto parts that he found in the workshops and "deshuesaderos" ("places for bone removal," the name given to the car "cemeteries" or junkyards), in the area known as "El Paraiso," in Zimatlan, Oaxaca. The format and proportion of these paintings allude to different parts of the cars, such as the window, the door, or the hood, and to the way in which they are piled up and lie exposed in these places.
The “American Dream," where the utopia of having one's own car plays a central role in this area of Oaxaca characterized by a high rate of migration, becomes a cemetery full of scrap metal and dilapidated vehicles that the artist transports to the pictorial realm. The aspirational drive, marked by the desire to own a vehicle of one's own, contrasts with the marginality of the area where these car cemeteries are located. In this way, the pieces bring into view the artist's interest in investigating and making known the financial flows, the state of things in society, and Mexico's relationship with the United States based on the journey and exploration of a specific location.
The different stains and textures generated by rust in these abstract paintings can be reminiscent of a landscape. In 2017, Aragon made a mural version of these pieces for the rooms of the Museum of Contemporary Art of Oaxaca, turning them literally into a walkable space, and thus transforming the metaphor of the landscape into the factual landscape of the exhibition space. With the stark and implacable vision that characterizes his work, Aragon reveals with this operation the nature of the landscape left by the American dream, made up of a garbage dump full of auto parts.
EKA, December 2019
https://culturacolectiva.com/arte/obras-edgardo-aragon-memoria-tisica
https://app.emaze.com/@ATTFTWRZ#2
The series Deshuesadero (Junkyard), by Edgardo Aragon, is made up of abstract paintings made with iron oxide on canvas. The pigment used by the artist was made from auto parts that he found in the workshops and "deshuesaderos" ("places for bone removal," the name given to the car "cemeteries" or junkyards), in the area known as "El Paraiso," in Zimatlan, Oaxaca. The format and proportion of these paintings allude to different parts of the cars, such as the window, the door, or the hood, and to the way in which they are piled up and lie exposed in these places.
