Luis Carle (Puerto Rico)

Ochún, Virgen de la Caridad del Cobre & San Sebastián

Digital Prints: 14 in x 11 in/ea, 35.56 cm x 27.94 cm/ea, 2011. 

These Santos are intermediaries with the power to communicate with God on behalf of their devotees. Believers may ask a saint to help cure an illness, bring consolation, or avert a disaster. A saint’s power, in turn, arises from his or her ability to perform requested favors or miracles. They represent the aspirations and devotions of devotees  to make unique spiritual and religious devotion. Saints might be asked to help bring about physical healing or spiritual consolation, to help one find a mate, or to ensure the safe return of a loved one. Saints are rewarded for favors granted with modest offerings of candles, incense, flowers and “milagros”. They traditionally fulfilled their mission as spiritual intercessors.The figure’s clothing and pose, as well as its attributes – the symbols associated with a particular saint such as flowers, swords, chalices, keys, or wings – can provide clues to their specific identity. The plastic bag protects the Santo from the outside elements, The asphyxiation and objectification of the saints brings them back into the human realm.  Human capabilities take back control. An experiment with a new visual language that effectively reinterprets traditional imagery into a new light, that explores the notion of spiritual ambivalence.

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