Untitled (Serpientes Gemelos, 2020)
Melanie Cervantes
11″ x 14″ 2-layer, handmade screenprinting, 140#/300 gsm, Canson XL watercolor paper, Printed in my kitchen, San Leandro, CA July 2020
When I decided to quit a full time career and take the leap into a life as a full time artist I also committed to drawing more, experimenting and trying new things in my practice. Most of my work is overtly political and didactic. I am learning how to trust my intuition and create works that challenge me to trust my gut. So in the spirit of celebrating auspicious events as well as imagining liberated futures I allowed myself the space to experiment. In the print I pair twin Quetzalcoatl serpents and sábila (aloe vera) against a spectrum of color. This piece juxtaposes three representations of medicine and healing that are rooted in the past, that serve us in the present and which can carry us toward a better collective future.