Yvette Pino, Forced Protection Study #1, 2020
Yvette Pino, Forced Protection Study #1, 2020
Yvette Pino
Forced Protection Study #1, 2020
Paper Size: 26x20
Image Size: 24 x 18
Serigraph, Edition of 65
My work is transitioning from using a visual language that reflects my military experiences toward new investigations of the celebrated topics within my family’s lineage and folklore. I am seeking to understand family behaviors that ultimately choose to reject our Mexican lineage in favor of elevating our Spanish heritage. This work attempts to create a visual defense and fight back against that denial of my identity. After years of considering the realities of celebrated militarism in this country, and my role within that narrative, I am yearning to return to the roots of my personal history. As many in our communities today, I am considering new ways to commemorate the past that do not expect or require monuments to worship or heroes to promote. Several layered symbols are found within this print that draws meaning from personal trauma and the amplified collective trauma of the last year.
Atelier Statement:
A transition can be an emotional, mental, and or even physical passage from one point or state to another. For this atelier, SHG invited a multigenerational group of military veteran artists whose paths led them to transition from civilians to soldiers to artists. The seven artists will address themes already embedded in their practice or explore new concepts through a Serigraph print. While SHG has always been a home to a community of veterans who sought the arts to manage PTSD or connect to a community of artists, Transitions will be the first veteran-focused suite of serigraphs printed at SHG.
Artists include Joe Devera, Fanny Garcia, Gina Herrera, Leo Limon, Yvette Pino, Pedro Rios Martinez, and Peter Tovar.
Artist Biography:
Yvette M. Pino, a U.S. Army veteran, was assigned to the 101st Airborne Division, where she earned the rank of Sergeant. Sergeant Pino was deployed to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom from 2003-2004. While serving, Pino found a sense of solitude in creating works of art. Her commanding officers recognized her skill and appreciated her artwork, earning her the unofficial title of “Division Artist.” After receiving her BFA from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Pino founded the “Veteran Print Project.”