Garza’s painting, Curandera is an intimate piece that includes the viewer in the ceremony and brings them into the scene. The curandera is summoned by Garza’s mother to perform a ritual and cleanse one of her daughters who was having a “difficult adolescence”. Carmen and her mother sit in chairs watching the curandera brush the daughter, Mary Jane, with a plant with incense burning in front of her. Her little brother sits on the bed behind Mary Jane, messing around on the bed. The intimacy of this scene and the inclusion of all of her family members adds to the meaning of this work. The inclusion of her family speaks to the actual ritual healing taking place, and how family plays an important role in healing.
Garza also includes images and sculptures of saints and an altar on the wall in the background of the room. While the combination of religious figures and the curandera may seem contradictory, they actually work together and aid the curandera in healing the troubled daughter. This duality speaks to the holistic approach that curanderas take in order to see the most success. The composition of the painting allows every detail to be noticed and considered, and each detail is important to the entirety of the piece. I enjoyed how it felt as though I was in the room with her family watching this event unfold. Being able to make people feel the intimacy of this moment is made possible by the composition of the room, the warm colors, and the empty space that seems as if it was left for one more person.
I really enjoyed this painting and how it is both a shared intimate moment and representative of her culture and its customs and rituals.
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