Virgin Mary

Versions of Virgins. South Central Los Angeles has a heavy working-class Mexican population. Bodegas and markets are present throughout, the facades and sides of which are painted with murals of their patron saint, La Virgen de Guadalupe. Over her floats a nimbus of products: Clorax Bleach, candy bars, sugar, flour, and other goods that the store sells.  The murals often get ‘tagged’ (graffitied) by gang members, and the ephemeral artwork is then deleted by a fresh coat of paint, and the process repeated. The Virgin’s image is ubiquitous, and fascinating in variation, as they are all painted by different hands (usually the store owner). As I drive through the neighborhood everyday, I record the Virgin’s location on my phone, then plot it out on a map. This first Version I did employing four contact sheets of 35mm film was to underexpose the surrounding product and properly exposing the compositions of the Virgin, thereby creating a Christian cross rising from the work in a subtle glow.