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Cadena Perpetua

Pigment inkjet prints
15” by 28.5” series of 5
2000

Cadena Perpetua consists of five panoramic montages which combine segments from the popular Foto-novelas with documentary war photography. The titling of each piece in the series follows a formula [in Spanish] -- Por Juguetón [for being playful/mischievous], Por Mañoso [for being sneaky], Por Vanidoso/a [for being vain], Por Revoltosas [for being rebellious], Por Sudorientos [for being sweaty];. This formula consists of the preposition Por followed by an adjective which combines to produce a phrase that explains an action, (the phrasing implies that the protagonist deserved to be punished) -- here, the phrase’s function is directed towards the visual information of its corresponding image. Each title/phrase attempts to justify the events which are represented, but the justifications become suspect when one attempts to map them upon the imagery -- thus, negating any resolution and perpetuating a sort of “fragile truth.”