"Pygmalion Effect XXV" by Almudena Rodriguez

Extracting images, logos and slogans from popular culture, Almudena Rodriguez rearranges disparate signs in an attempt to map out a single vision determined not by original context but through aesthetic thought. In a series titled "Pygmalion Effect," the artist explores the popular psychological idea that greater expectations lead to better performance, questioning how an artist can influence the viewer’s perception. This mixed media on fabric work entitled "Pygmalion Effect VII" layers images and messages ranging from comic book illustrations to the musical notation of a traditional Spanish children's song. The collision of cultural signifiers simultaneously soothes and overwhelms, and generates a dream world through which the viewer must find their way out.