La Llorona De Los Siglos 

Carlos Almaraz made this painting, La Llorona De Los Siglos, with oil on canvas. Oil paint is a traditional medium of fine art, capable of great subtlety and luminosity. Here, Almaraz applies it in thin washes and scumbles, giving the image an almost ghostly presence. Look at the figure of La Llorona herself, spectral and veiled in a teal cloak. The artist coaxes forth a range of tones, textures, and hazy forms, the image emerges as if from a dream or collective memory. The making reflects the subject, the legend of La Llorona, and the lost children. While painting is often considered a fine art, and separated from the more quotidian world of craft, Almaraz's engagement with folklore gives the work a different dimension. He's using an elite medium, yet is infusing it with the concerns of ordinary people. He effectively bridges high art and the vernacular. The painting reminds us that materials, making, and context are essential to understanding the full meaning of an artwork.