Dormant

 

Suggesting something alive yet perhaps not actively developing, Edgar Sanchez Cumbas’s solo exhibition Dormant aims to question our internalized bigotry—the sleeping beasts within us—concerning colorism, racism, and identity.

Converting statements Cumbas has overheard people make about race or color and turning them into titles, these bits of poetic syntax add a touch of narrative to his abstract pieces. The verbal dismemberment in some of the names, like “Tan Neck” or “Skinned and Toned,” mirror the violence in the sharp, dangerous-looking forms in his “Neck” series, which reference the exoticism of hunter’s trophy heads placed on display.

Cumbas’ primary palette is limited to black, brown, yellow, tan, and white. From here, he adds his “secondary” colors—reds, greens, and blues—to create more multifaceted complexions. The added textures and forms are at once recognizable, yet unfamiliar: they create a push/pull situation where at one moment, the textures transform into a smear of luscious frosting, and at the next, they may look more akin to a mass of internal organs or a gaping wound.

Though his works are politically bent, Cumbas’ work refrains from the didactic; instead, his hand serves as a filter to distill information from the outside world to create something new that speaks to contemporary life. The tactility of his mark making in both his paintings and sculptures create a rough topography of built-up anger and resentment to the political climate, yet the soft, sensual surfaces also demonstrate Cumbas’ sensitivity to both his subjects and material. Overall, these works serve as an autobiographical statement of living through this current moment of transition.

 

Caitlin Albritton is an artist and freelance writer based in Tampa with a BFA from Savannah College of Art and Design and an MFA from Maryland Institute College of Art. When she’s not looking at art throughout town, she can be found making it. You can keep up with her visual art on Instagram @caitlinalbritton or on her website.

Edgar Sanchez Cumbas DORMANT is on view at the Hillsborough Community College’s Ybor City Campus School of Visual and Performing Arts Gallery through Thursday, October 25, 2018.  The public is invited to a reception on Thursday, October 11,  from 4:40 – 7:15 pm with the artist scheduled to speak at 5:30 pm.  For additional information: www.hccfl.edu/yborgallery.