Children With no Name VI 2009

Carmen Delaco created “Children With No Name VI” using oil paint, a traditional artistic medium. The canvas support itself is quite unusual, pieced together from separate segments. Delaco's visible brushstrokes and the textures that she coaxes from the paint are important to the image's overall effect, adding an emotional depth. See how the surface seems almost distressed, mirroring the vulnerability in the child's gaze. The title gives a clue as to the social context of the piece. It points to themes of displacement and identity, suggesting the precarious position of children without recognition or status. Oil paint, with its history of use in portraiture of the powerful, is here turned to the service of representing the powerless. It challenges the traditional role of art, making us consider the labor and social issues intertwined with this child's story. Delaco’s choice of material and process is crucial to understanding the work’s meaning, inviting us to see beyond conventional notions of art and engage with its broader social implications.