Justin Favela’s Enigmatic Piñatas

Artist Justin Favela creates enigmatic works of art through the very DIY medium of piñatas made from just cardboard, paper, and glue. Based in Las Vegas, Favela’s work plays with concepts of Southwestern Chicano culture and the traditional Mexican Catholic interpretation of the piñata with works like his life-sized “Lowrider Piñata.”

He literally elevates the piñata to a high art context with works like “Donkey Piñata,” which appears to be a reference to Maurizio Catalan’s “The Ballad of Trotsky,” featuring a hanging taxidermied horse.

“Grande Bang” is made from found piñatas that he assembled to resemble an explosion, just like the candy that might explode from the piñata after being struck by a stick, mimicking the origin of the universe!

His most recent work demonstrates the emotional subtly that it’s possible to achieve with a piñata. In a poignant depiction of Big Bird sprawled on the floor, it’s not clear whether the beloved Sesame Street character is dead or simply sleeping peacefully in this beautifully rendered work.

[via ANIMAL]