The De Santos Gallery will present Drifting Away, a series of life-size glass photographs by Colombian artist and photographer Erika Diettes. The photographs, printed on large glass panels, display articles of clothing or objects belonging to missing victims of the Colombian armed conflict. Drifting Away will open Saturday September 13th, 2008 from 6:00-9:00 pm and will be on display until October 11th.
For decades, paramilitary and guerrilla forces in Colombia have been responsible for the disappearances and deaths of thousands of Colombian civilians. Their tortured and mutilated bodies are then often discarded into the rivers of Colombia.
Drifting Away is meant to draw attention and humanization to this complex and tragic conflict. In order to embody this situation, Diettes has borrowed items of clothing or personal objects from the victims’ families, who are sometimes reluctant to do so. She then submerged the clothing or belongings in turbulent water, photographed them, and printed the photographs onto glass panels. According to Diettes, the panels are displayed standing upright, like "translucent tombstones in a cemetery".
To properly convey the severity of her subject, Diettes has researched and toured areas of Colombia that experience a great deal of violence. She has traveled to a variety of places to speak with the victims' families. Because the bodies of the missing are often never recovered, Diettes has found that many of their loved ones are unable to properly experience the grief necessary for their loss. Diettes says the families clamor "not only for the respect for life, but also for the right to be able to bury their dead".
Diettes' work has been displayed in galleries and museums throughout her country, including the National Museum of Colombia. She has also been exhibited at the Contemporary Art Museum of Chile and the Centro Cultural Recoleta in Buenos Aires. Diettes was also featured at Houston's 2008 Fotofest. She received first place in University Photography from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). She received her Master's degree in Anthropology from the Universidad de los Andes in Bogotá, Colombia. Diettes has taught Art, Photography, and Social Communication at the Pontificia Universidad Javeriana in Bogotá.
The De Santos Gallery is owned by artists Luis and Gemma De Santos and displays photographic art from artists worldwide. The gallery also includes a studio, LADS photography, which provides photography sales and art consulting services to individuals and businesses. The De Santos gallery is located at 1724 Richmond Ave. For further information about the gallery, call 713-520-1200 or email Carlos De Santos at carlos.desantos@desantosgallery.com.
For further information on Drifting Away or artist Erika Diettes, visit www.erikadiettes.com.
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