LUPE

LUPE_APELLIZZILupe, 2014, acrylic felt on wood bars, 150 x 80 cm.

 

This piece is made out of industrial felt stretched onto stretcher bars. The acrylic felt material is used in Mexican folkloric crafts and costumes. The color, typically described as rosa mexicano, is feminine, folkloric, and kitsch.

Semi-circular slits cut into the fabric create shapes and flaps that reference the image of the Virgen of Guadalupe. Lupe is a commonly used abbreviation for the name Guadalupe. The scalloped almond shape of the religious image is often used in representations of the Virgin. The shape also references the body, particularly the female sexual organ, presenting a collapse between sexual and spiritual imagery.