Artist Bio
Jo Cladinos is a Long Beach printmaker who earned her MFA in Printmaking at California State University, Long Beach. Her work focuses on traditional printmaking techniques and uses its time-bound nature to reflect on themes that remain relevant today.
Artist Statement
Animal forms are frozen in time in the unfortunate circumstances that sealed their fates. Each animal is harvested from Cladinos' own folkloric mythos and then served on a wood, stone, or metal matrix. The animals writhe and contort, mimicking the feelings of anxiety, depression, fear, aggression, and submission. However, at a closer look, these animals don’t look normal. Their skin does not fit quite right, and blood is gathering at the edges of their joints. Cladinos has draped animal skin and flesh over intrapersonal and interpersonal narratives to make them more palatable.
Ink-stained nails are scraping away the differences between what is animalistic and what is human. The animal costumes conceal bubbling and boiling emotions just enough so the viewer can take a step closer. The skins protect the viewers and allow self-reflection or questioning without getting burned. The soft animal body, however, is too irresistible not to touch.
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