ARTIST STATEMENT
On “Bought These for You”-
This painting is part of my Ammo Series, which reflect on gun culture and laws, in light of mass shootings involving legally bought high capacity assault rifles and expanding bullets. After the Uvalde massacre, I studied the AR-15 ammunition used there, its use as symbol of freedom, and the ironic resemblance that these bullets have with flowers once they expand. I draw views of a .223 Rem with colored pencils, made prints on acid free paper and collaged them to represent flowers as commonly seen in stores. In our absurd reality, one can buy bullets to intentionally harm people as easily as one can get a bouquet as a gift to somebody. I included an ornate frame that I restored and painted, to give this piece an heirloom status, as a reference to the values and beliefs that are passed from one generation to another.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Claudia Maysen is a mixed media artist who employs abstraction and representation to explore emotions, social issues, and the meaning of community. Having immigrated from Mexico as an adult, her experience of growing up among manipulation disguised as freedom, oppression dressed up as values and selfishness hidden behind inaction, influences her practice. She spots these same threats in the United States and comments on them through her artwork.
Using collages of her own figurative drawings, Maysen focusses on impactful subjects. She incorporates ambiguous elements through water media, graphite, spray paint and ink, to hold the viewer’s interest and open the door to reflection. Influenced by her previous career in architecture, she moves to the three-dimensional space when she needs to expand on certain topics.
Her works have been selected for exhibitions and honors including the 2022 Forth Worth Biennial at Arts FW, the World AIDS Day Art Contest Award presented at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, and the Dallas Mayor Exhibition at City Hall. Based in Texas, Maysen also creates public art: she recently completed a mural for the AIDS Outreach Center in Tarrant County and is currently working on her first art bench sculpture to be permanently installed in the City of Keller.
© Claudia Maysen