UNREPD open botánica, a solo exhibition by Moncho 1929 (Dan Monteavaro) tomorrow Saturday 4th October 2023. In a series of 19 new paintings on canvas and wood panel, Monteavaro reimagines the botánica, a space for community and healing for many Latinx people in the United States. Through an exploration of the spirituality of his Puerto Rican upbringing, Monteavaro gives new form to the diversity of cultures, beliefs, and traditions that shape Latinx communities today.
In this exhibition, Monteavaro creates a botánica in the gallery space; his paintings include tarot card reinterpretations, religious offerings reimagined, cultural and familial figures presented in new ways, and baños (spiritual baths) made in grand scale. Together, the works give viewers a sense of stepping into a space that is at once highly personal and significantly communal. From recycled water bottles to kitchen apples, Monteavaro pays homage to the people, places, materials, and traditions that have helped many Latinx people to survive and thrive in the United States.
:botánica takes as its backdrop the history of Spanish colonialism, which brought large numbers of African people to the Americas and the Caribbean. There, Spanish Catholicism mixed with West African and indigenous religious practices and resulted in the Caribbean religions and people we recognize today. To this day, West African and indigenous medicines and remedies, gods, and spiritual traditions are practiced in many Latinx homes, yet not discussed openly, as they are intertwined with and masked by Catholic saints, prayers, and rituals.
While African and indigenous traditions have remained largely hidden within Catholicism in Latinx communities, :botánica reveals and celebrates an array of practices, beliefs, figures, and archetypes that contribute to Latinx health, happiness, and prosperity. That is to say that botánicas offer more than religion–they are places that people visit for help with the many challenges of everyday life, particularly issues of health, wealth, and love. In the botánica, people can find support and healing without fear of ridicule or judgment.
The vibrancy of Puerto Rican and other Latinx cultures lies largely in the diversity of historical influences that have melded to create something altogether new. Similarly, Monteavaro’s :botánica creates new images that share the beauty of Latinx culture with a larger community, introducing exciting possibilities for further cross-cultural creativity and invention.
Moncho 1929, botánica, November 4th – December 17th, 2023, 100 S. Grand Avenue #04 A,
Los Angeles, CA. unrepd.com
About the artist
Moncho 1929 (Dan Monteavaro, b. 1075) was born in Puerto Rico and raised in the South Bronx. Monteavaro uses oil and acrylic to create surrealistic paintings that explore the many dualities of contemporary life. Monteavaro’s work can be found in multiple private, city, and corporate collections, including: Google, the French Consulate of the U.S., The City of New York, Paramount, the NBA, MLS, Universal Pictures, and the public art collections of cities including: Glendale, Los Angeles, and West Hollywood. Recently, Monteavaro’s work was acquired for the permanent collection of the Iowa Museum of Modern Art (The Figge) and exhibited at The Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Art. Monteavaro was also included in the juried BP Portrait Awards for The National Portrait Gallery in the United Kingdom. Monteavaro currently lives and works in Los Angeles, CA.
