Walter Martin & Paloma Muñoz

Walter Martin & Paloma Muñoz by Aline SmithsonDecember 24, 2012

One of my favorite Christmas traditions is unpacking my Christmas snow globe collection. Creating worlds in miniature, in a sphere of water and faux snow is what artists Walter Martin & Paloma Muñoz capture so perfectly with their own snowy expressions. Each tableau is a little dark, a little off kilter and reflects a fractured fairy tale that is based on a sense of isolation and fear. Their work is currently on exhibition at MOCA, the Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art through December 30th.

Artists Walter Martin & Paloma Muñoz create large-scale photomontages and 9-inch tall snow globes that reveal landscapes that harbor sinister secrets. Landscapes covered in darkness with a wintry blanket of snow set the stage for a narrative to unfold. The artists begin with the tiny figures that often inhabit the small worlds of snow globes and model trains. They are physically transformed to tell stories that have taken an odd and sinister turn. The scenes are vaguely evocative of a Hitchcock film or the dark comedy Fargo. They also hint at the fears that are encountered living in contemporary society.

Snow Globes