“[Leslie] walked me over to a collection of installations set up in the backyard of the studio; the chatter of everyone in attendance fell away, save for that of a small group that was gathered under the single lightbulb that illuminated the area. The installations, made of three altar-like paintings constructed from everyday objects — cinder blocks, fruit, and linen — sat just on the edge of the light. The three sets of four cinder blocks supported flat surfaces draped in linen and painted with the juices of different fruits. Placed on top of each of these surfaces were fragments of cinder blocks and fruits — either atop the fragments or directly on the linen; the watermelon and pomegranates were broken open to show the fruit inside. Each of the four installations also had a book placed on them, including a book of medicinal plants. In comparison with Hinojosa’s installation that confronted the self, Barrientos’ acted as a transition of this self, and “a laying down and honoring of the past self.”
All five senses were stimulated the moment you sat and interacted with her work: the sense of sight was activated through the layering of objects, one on top of the other. The sense of touch was activated through the viewer’s inclination of wanting to feel the textures of each layer, from the rough surface of the cinder blocks to the smooth skin of the fruit and the glossy covers of each book adorning the flat tops. Even the sense of taste was present through the scraps left on a table in a previous room, that wafted through the breeze of the back door. The ritual of these objects coming together was a sensory experience that invited the viewer to be present, to participate and contemplate, and engage in their own curiosity.” - Joaquin Castillo, Glasstire
