Pop Icon, Holy Virgin, Pachamama: La Chola’s Vírgenes Watercolors

The Virgin is a central motif in the work of La Chola Poblete. She frequently appears in her installations and paintings, and the artist has even dedicated an entire series of watercolors to her in Guaymallén. For La Chola Poblete, the Virgin carries significant and simultaneously intricate symbolism. She embodies the roles of a mother, a woman, a saint, a courtesan, and even the goddess Pachamama. Pachamama holds a crucial place in the beliefs of many indigenous peoples of the Andes in South America, where she is considered the personification of the Earth mother. Pachamama bestows gifts, nurtures, offers protection, and answers prayers. She is ritually revered and serves as the mediator between the realms of the upper and lower worlds. Today, she stands as a symbol of identity, sociopolitical resistance, and hope for a more holistic way of life. It's worth noting that originally, “Pacha” was viewed as a rather gender-neutral and non-personified entity, but this perception changed during the colonial period.

For a significant portion of the Indigenous population, the figure of Pachamama intertwines with that of Mary, the Mother of God, resulting in a synthesis of pre-Christian and Christian attributes within her. The two figures have common features, such as their pronounced motherly qualities and the regional variations in their personifications, leading to the veneration of the Virgin in various forms across different places. In La Chola Poblette’s large-scale watercolors, we encounter the Virgen del Carmen de Cuyo and Virgen de la Carrodilla, two local Marian figures hailing from the province of Mendoza, believed to safeguard the grape harvest and agricultural yields in particular. The fusion of Christian and Andean culture is also referenced by the title of the watercolor, Barroco Andino (2023) – Andean Baroque. 

“In my case,” reflects La Chola Poblete, “she was the first image of a woman that triggered both fear and respect within me at once.” At the same time, the Virgin emerges in her artwork as a pop icon akin to Madonna, Naomi Campbell, and Evita Peron. Surrounding the central figure of the Virgin/Goddess/Mary, always prominently positioned in her watercolors, there unfolds an associative tapestry of symbols, figures, logos, graffiti, organic and ornamental forms. These compositions, resembling visual songs or poems, exhibit an almost musical and rhythmic quality, with each element unfurling a multitude of meanings in their interplay. Throughout the exhibition, various recurring motifs appear: dancing figures adorned with penises, breasts, and high heels; masks crafted from bread; camouflage patterns. Concurrently, La Chola Poblete’s everyday experiences seep into these images: glimpses of graffiti observed in passing, wine bottle labels, contemplations on matters of gender and sexuality, and quotations drawn from rock songs or literature.