HONORING FAMILY

RECOUNTING AND HONORING FAMILY is an installation that pays homage to my family elders.  This altar honors my father and other members of the Rodriguez family, both living and dead.  Memories of my father are recounted through the use of various media including recorded short stories, photographs and family heirlooms passed down through generations.  Family photos, religious candles and obituaries reflect my parents’ altar-making practices.  Each October/November the Rodriguez family honors its elders in death with an altar embellished with objects that keep our hearts and minds full of memories of those we continue to love.  It is my hope to encourage others to collect mementos that inspire consideration for the gift of life.  To encourage reflection on the duality of life and death, I incorporated symbols that encompass the living and spiritual worlds.

The installation combines acrylic on canvas, ceramics, photographic images and visual images with short stories from my mother and siblings dedicated to my father.

“Laughing Bones/Weeping Hearts”, Oakland Museum of California, October – November 2006