Mythological Narratives at 10 & B at Adjacent To Life

Tinsquo's curatorial project, Adjacent To Life, presents Mythological Narratives at 10 & B by Emma Enriquez. Marisa Malone contributes the exhibition essay:

While Artist Emma Enriquez’s work begins from a personal place, often a feeling, it inevitably extends into the collective, “I think connection is really important,” she says, and “I think we’ve lost that and we need to find a way back to it.”

Her work sits at the intersection of technology, history, and culture. Combining German Expressionism with Mexican Muralism, she speaks to her German-Mexican lineage, and layers over it a love of classic sci-fi and horror - which conspire to create a unique spin on these traditional forms.

Her work often expresses imaginative scenes from remote eras (like the Mexican Revolution). During her research, Enriquez noticed there are “a lot of parallels in what was going on [in the past] and what is going on today - a dismantling of grand narratives.”

She wonders, “what would it be like if there was a freedom fighter who stepped through a portal into today's world?” Under the growing specter of an AI-dominated world, Enriquez playfully recasts her figures into an imagined digital-like realm; “I’m trying to find positivity in the future,” she says.

Hidden within her richly layered paintings is a kind of alternate dimension, quite different in tone and feel. When shown under a blue light, details are submerged and glowing fluorescent lines and patterns, once hidden in plain daylight, emerge. Her figurative imagery transforms into a more abstract and futuristic scene. From her work we can sense tension around the narratives and technology that separate us from one another. During an age that is characterized by isolation and fear, she presents us with portals into other worlds that might help us see our own in a new light.

- Marisa Malone

Marisa Malone grew up in the Sierra foothills of Nevada. She studied writing and literature at The Evergreen State College and currently lives in Brooklyn, NY. Her writing has been published in BlazeVox Journal and Selfish Magazine, along with two self-published poetry chapbooks.

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Mythological Narratives at 10 & B is on view through September 22, 2023 at the Adjacent To Life gallery housed in Ninth Street Espresso (341 E. 10th Street at Ave B, New York City). Opening reception: Saturday, August 19, 7:00 - 9:00.