A few months ago, I was speaking with Puerto Rican-born, NYC-based Larissa De Jesús Negrón, about her newfound practice of using an airbrush. "Growing up in Puerto Rico, graffiti and muralism are art forms that I became accustomed to seeing, so that exposure definitely influenced my new found interest," Negrón said. "I discovered that Airbrush is the bridge between drawing and painting." This conversation was for the upcoming Under Pressure group show curated by Mister CARTOON at Control Gallery in Los Angeles, but in the meantime and concurrently, Negrón has opened the solo show La Canción Verde (The Green Song) at Anna Zorina in NYC, where she reflects upon the past eight years she has spent in New York.
As the gallery notes, "She relates her story to that of the Coquí tree frog as depicted in the renowned children's book La Canción Verde by Doris Troutman Plenn. They share a transformative journey of leaving their homes in Puerto Rico to discover their voices in the urban landscape of New York City. This journey inadvertently left behind cherished aspects of their cultural heritage, including their community, pristine beaches, and beloved traditions. The creation of this series, allowed Negrón the opportunity to profoundly reconnect with her cultural roots."
Maybe that is why I love this addition of the airbrush; a new tradition to her beloved tradition. A mixing. An evolution. "This is what I find interesting about airbrush, it’s versatility," she told me. "Although it can be a pain to maintain, it will forever be part of my toolbox.” —Evan Pricco
