Filled with Pearls: New works and site Specific Installation by Monique D. López
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“Filled with Pearls” is about my interest in the micro taking over the macro in terms of disease. Witnessing my father battle and succumb to cancer influenced using cancer as a metaphor to depict something that cannot be controlled. Through the research of color saturated microscopic images of diseased cells and external images of their affects using the binary of beauty and the grotesque aesthetically is a formal decision to have the viewer be attracted and repulsed simultaneously. The utilized space acts like a body to host the invasive entity and foster the dis-ease.

During my research I came across a book titled, “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks.” A riveting story of a poor black women who in 1951, while being treated for cervical cancer at John Hopkins, had her cells taken from her without her knowledge. Henrietta’s cells were the first ever to be reproduced outside of the body and because of her cells scientists have been able to develop the polio vaccine, gene mapping, and cloning. Sold all over the world, neither she nor her family reaped any of the benefits. Today her cells are still being grown and it was not until this book was written that much was known about her. Henrietta Lack’s cells are known as the HeLa Cell. The part of the story that impacted me and inspired the site-specific installation was the description of her autopsy—“Tumors the size of baseballs had nearly replaced her kidneys, bladder, ovaries and uterus. And her other organs were so covered in small white tumors it looked as if someone had filled her with pearls.” Reading this, I flashbacked to when I stood alone with my father’s doctor being informed of his condition and that there was a mass the size of a baseball on his liver. I think now, was he too filled with pearls?
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-Monique D. López
Lleno de Perlas: Nuevas obras e instalación por Monique D. López

"Lleno de Perlas" trata de mi interés en la microscopía tomandose cargo de la macroscopía en términos de enfermedad. Ser testigo de mi padre y su batalla que sucumbo al cáncer influyo el uso del cáncer como una metáfora para describir algo que no se puede controlar. A través de la investigación de imágenes saturadas de color microscópicas de células enfermas y las imágenes externas de sus afectos usando el binario de la belleza y lo grotesco estéticamente es una decisión formal para que el espectador será atraído y repelido de forma simultánea. El espacio de la galeria actúa como un cuerpo que alberga la entidad invasora y fomenta la enfermedad.
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Durante mi investigación me encontré con un libro titulado, "La Vida Inmortal de Henrietta Lacks." Una fascinante historia de una pobre mujer de raza negra que en 1951, mientras estaba siendo tratada para el cáncer de cuello de útero en John Hopkins, tenía sus células tomadas de ella sin su conocimiento. Células de Henrietta fueron las primeras en ser reproducidas fuera del cuerpo y debido a sus células los científicos han sido capaces de desarrollar la vacuna contra la polio, la cartografía genética y la clonación. Vendidas en todo el mundo, ni ella ni su familia han visto cualquiera de los beneficios. Hoy sus células siguen siendo cultivadas y no fue hasta que se escribió este libro que se sabía mucho sobre ella. Células de Henrietta Lacks se conocen como la célula HeLa. La parte de la historia que me impactó e inspiró la instalación de ubicación específica era la descripción de su autopsia- "tumores del tamaño de pelotas de béisbol casi había reemplazado sus riñones, la vejiga, los ovarios y el útero. Y sus otros órganos estaban tan cubiertos de pequeños tumores blancos. Parecía como si alguien la había llenado de perlas." Esta parte de la lectura, me recordo que cuando me quedé sola con el médico de mi padre, me informo de su estado y que había una masa del tamaño de una pelota de béisbol en su hígado. Ahora me pregunto, estaba él también lleno de perlas?

​-Monique D. López
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About the artist, Monique D. López

      I remember the moment my mom sat me under a tree as a child and told me to look up. She asked me what I saw and I told her leaves and branches. My mom then said to look beyond and see the shapes between the leaves and branches; the positive and negative space. I’ve carried her teaching with me throughout my artistic growth, mixing my crayons to discover new colors than just the ones in the box. Creating collages that covered my bedroom walls from floor to ceiling. Taking everyday materials, like thread and steel mesh scrubber and making them become something else than their initial use. In my process, I experiment with combining traditional and unconventional materials in an attempt to have the viewer question what they are seeing. 

As an artist I can only express what I know from my experience. I grew up in one of barrios of Los Angeles. I focused on my education as a way out and attained my BFA in Drawing and Painting from CSU Long Beach in 2006. I made a life changing move to the bay area to attend California College of the Arts and received my MFA in Fine Art in 2010. Currently, I live, work, and am a practicing studio artist in San Francisco.

Throughout my practice, research, and process the work has continued to metamorphosis from one body of work to the next. As I look at a tree now, the branches look like veins in the body and some types of tree bark look like a diseased liver. I also discovered that people do experience other things like disease. They are disruptive, consuming, invasive, and part of our everyday. We are all affected by these breakdowns and destructions in life’s construct. We try to make sense of what happened and attempt to put the pieces back together.

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