Lush foliage abuts geometric abstraction in Carolyn Castaño‘s vibrant paintings bursting with tropical flair. The Colombian-American artist amalgamates motifs from Latin America and the U.S so harmoniously that it’s often difficult to pinpoint the origin of any given form. Titled in homage to Sogamoso, a Colombian city called “City of The Sun” by the pre-Columbian Muisca people, “The Valley of the Sun” is a series drawing parallels between Modernist and Color Field painting and patterns used by indigenous tribes in Colombia. Chevrons, lines, triangles and rays recall the lexicons of painters such as Morris Louis and Kenneth Noland while also resembling designs on Andean ruanas and Wayuu weavings. Neon yellow orbs evoke blazing suns that double as abstract focal points in El Cañon 1, El Cañon 2 and El Cañon 3 (all works 2019), which unite as a triptych to form a sprawling rainforest eerily presided by a solar quartet. Another series, “After América,” features saucy takes on early Europeans’ personification of the New World as a scantily clad goddess named “Columbia” or “America.” Castaño’s modernized versions depict friends and colleagues lying nude amid tawdry jungles collaged from discarded fast-fashion raiment. Price tags and brand labels left among the bunched fabrics suggest that everything is commodified: the painting, the garment, the jungle, perhaps even America herself.

Walter Maciel Gallery
2642 S. La Cienega Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90034
Show runs through Dec. 21