Margarita Cabrera

I was completely captivated by Kaelyn Rodriguez's presentation on Margarita Cabrera partially due to the sculptural aspect of her work but primarily because of the consistent metaphors used in the artist's work that she pointed out. It becomes very apparent that Cabrera has the affinity for attention to detail no matter the medium. Her life clearly informs her art and her delicately powerful aesthetic shines through from her soft sculptures to her printmaking. I was reminded of Claes Oldenburg's soft dormeyer mixer sculpture with its pendulous hanging beaters resembling testicles and a phallic handle because of the feminine equivalent of her pink sewing machine. Cabrera harnessed the anatomical quality of such an industrial machine while still managing to relay a poignant twist on gender-stereotyped labor. I particularly appreciated Kaelyn addressing the purposeful loose threads that accompany most if not all of Cabrera’s soft sculptures. This statement of imperfection or strategically “unfinished” work intrigues me greatly because it is toying with the concepts of personal interpretation everyone’s loose ends while pushing the boundaries of when an artist decides a piece is done and in what condition. It’s miraculous how she can achieve forms with such a rigid appearance until their formation is discovered and an entirely organic condition is added. The limpness of such strong preconceived machines lends to the feeling of fluidity as well as fleeting matter. The notion that temporary sculptures can have just as profound an impact as solid ones and crumble the next moment is both nerve-wracking and exhilarating.