N AT I O N A L S P O T L I G H T
The Power to Kill by
Mely Barragán
Knives. Broken glass. Spikes. Dark bodies of water. Since the time our mothers cried “Don’t touch!” or “Stay away!” we have associated certain objects with danger, approaching them with a strange mixture of caution and fascination. Three Mexican artists have sought to capture the seductive power of danger with works currently on view at the Museum of Latin American Art, in Long Beach. Included is a piece by Tijuana-born artist Mely Barragán entitled The Power to Kill, featuring cartoonish, plush leather purses shaped like kitchen knives. One of My Spiked Balls, by Daniel Ruanova, is a silver mace dangling like a pendulum, with glistening spikes protruding at all angles. Like Barragán’s work, One of My Spiked Balls confuses perceptions of safety and potential harm, as the plastic work seems part toy, part torture device. (In 2009, the Los Angeles Times called Ruanova’s work “about as ambiguous as razor-wire fences.”) An installation by Miguel Fernández—a table topped with bits of broken glass—might recall childhood realizations of risk, eliciting a very real fear of pain. As if observing a caged and starving predator, viewers quietly sit and contemplate the glass. All works are on display through July 20, at MOLAA, 628 Alamitos Avenue, Long Beach, California. D
| j u L Y 2012
THE magazine | 47