carolyn castaño

The beauty queen and the drug lord.

Things got really complicated for Sinaloan beauty queen, Laura Zuñiga, when she and her narco smuggling boyfriend, Angel Orlando Garcia Urquiza were arrested outside of Guadalajara in truckload of weapons and about $50,000.00 in U.S. cash. The mexican beauty queen won Miss Sinaloa in July 2008 and had won third place for Miss HispanoAmerica, of which she was stripped for failing to comply with pageant regulations. I imagine a Latin Tyra going over the rules,"No going out with drug smugglers, ladies!" As for the boyfriend, Angel Garcia Urquiza is a top operative in the Juarez Cartel. Apparently young and old drug lords scour the Sinaloan countryside looking for beauty queen señoritas to woo and date. The girls often acquiesce to their advances. Well, you wouldn't want to piss off the town's narco and besides what girl could resist the promise of diamonds and pearls? I am painting these two for the It's Complicated exhibition at Walter Maciel Gallery.

Dibujos- Emergency Landing

In Dibujos- Emergency Landing at the Tropico de Nopal, artists were asked to respond to the current state of affairs. I'm trying to figure out how to approach this one. Should I make a drawing about Obama and "hope" ( I still believe!), the economic downturn ( Uh....help me), or the mortgage crisis ( there goes my dream of having a casita of my own or a home to pay into until I part from this earth). If you have any suggestions, you can email me here.

Rodrigo Londoño Echeverry

Rodrigo is a top member of the FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia). The FARC is a revolutionary guerrilla army concerned with agrarian reform and the plight of the poor coca farmers of Colombia. They are famous for techniques such as murder, extortion, the bombing of government buildings and the kidnapping of civilians and government officials alike. Rodrigo is rumored to have fathered a child with Clara Rojas, the ex-vice presidential candidate, held hostage in the jungle for 7 years by the FARC.

Atlético Nacional: Soccer jersey and insignia of the Atlético Nacional, Medellin, Colombia

In 1989 the Atlético Nacional of Medellin was the first Colombian soccer team to win the Copa Libertadores. It was also one of Pablo Escobar's favorite teams. A true fanatic, he sponsored soccer teams and bought up fields across Medellin. Word is that at his funeral, Pablo was draped in the team's flag. I'm using the green and white stripes of the jerseys in my paintings of Pablo and Virginia. Here is a little peek.

A little detail, but sshshhhhh....

Joseph

Fresh Rio

Alvaro

Tropical Baby, Violetta ( MACLA)

Some of my work is in The Art of Style show at Movimiento Arte y Cultura Latino Americano / San Jose Center for Latino Arts. There are several prints, a painting and my La Extranjera video. The show also features a great group of artists including Rio Yañez and Shizu Saldamando. Many thanks to Anjee Helstrup who curated!

Flowergate 2008

These are some of the paintings I have in in Phantom Sightings: Art After the Chicano Movement:

Tropical Baby, Self Portrait 2007

Mario, Yo Quiero Sportie LA! 2007

Kate, Flores y Racer Stripes 2007

Guillermo, Yo Soy Façonnable! 2007

Yandara 2007