I was mesmerized walking through Carolina Caycedo’s Cosomotarrayas. Hovering around me were these kaleidoscope-like creations, but the more I wandered throughout the room, the more I understood the spiritual scope of what surrounded me. Nuestro Tiempo hangs mysteriously along the wall, a deeply painted purple, white flowers and tambourine in hand, beckoning me to take a closer look. Like an ancient relic, Nuestro Tiempo is eerily quiet, yet at any moment I felt that I might hear the fingers bang upon the tambourine. I imagined that this would transport me to a different time. A time that was simpler, more natural. This was a time when my grandparents would bring out these vibrantly woven hammocks from Guatemala and hang them on the beach or between the trees on our family camping trips. My cousins and I would squish our bodies together to fit in, our bare feet kicking the sand below to make the hammock swing higher. The times sitting on Lake Atitlan watching the lone boats sail across the water, and the women weaving their traditional Mayan textiles along their village shores. That is the impact of Caycedo’s Nuestro Tiempo; like a conduit between the past and present, this net reminded me of things that I greatly miss. 

Katherine Gudiel started at the ICA as Customer Relations Manager Assistant in fall 2019, joining the data systems team in supporting all things Tessitura. She is also a painter in her free time with a focus on portraiture.

Friday Art Notes are personal reflections on works of art shown or in the permanent collection of the ICA, written by ICA staff, volunteers, and supporters. Read more