Cliff Notes
Each week, our regional Cliff Notes columnists Jaydra Johnson, Brittney Frantece, Blessing Greer Mathurin, and Quintessa Matranga pick the most exciting events and exhibitions on the West Coast.
Laura Luna Castillo: Onix y Marmol
Jack Straw Cultural Center, Seattle, WA
January 24 – March 14, 2025
At the Jack Straw Center in UDistrict, Laura Luna Castillo’s Onix y Marmol presents a virtual reality exhibition that plays with both digital technologies and natural technologies from the Earth. Onix y Marmol is a fictional world; it’s a multimedia space that archives the artist’s family history in Tecali de Herrera in Puebla, Mexico.
Immersion into this sonic and visual world was easily achieved as I stepped into the dark space that is lit with projector lights and monitors. Three screens with graphic 3D rendering are projected on the walls. One vertical rectangle shows dark geometric shapes with bits of light showing through, it almost feels like I’m inside of a rock. Another rectangle depicts a sandy and rocky landscape with a small body of water. The largest projection is more abstract—a large white shape with curves and sharp angles and within this larger shape are smaller shapes in a myriad of colors. There are also sounds of radio static, footsteps, and faint sounds of mariachi music. On pedestals and stands around the gallery were altars of rocks and stones.
I was engulfed in a world of abstract shapes and distinct sounds. It’s cool when virtual reality is experienced without a headset. The interplay of sounds and visuals stimulated many of my senses, helping with the worldbuilding aspect of the exhibition.
The world Castillo invites us into tells a story that centers “Latinx virtualities,” or virtual experiences that prioritize Latinx cultures, languages, and histories. Creating a kind of metaphysical space that was deeply moving. It allowed me to witness the development of a narrative that challenges the enduring violence inflicted upon the Global South. Castillo’s exhibition creates a ripe space for Latinx belonging, which is so crucial in a world that ostracizes those ways of being and knowing.
Reflection: What cultural or familial lineages influence your virtual world?
Jay Stoneking at Friday Afternoon Tea, Seattle, WA
March 1– 31, 2025
In a cozy Wallingford tea shop, Jay Stoneking’s visual incantations invite viewers into the magic of creating talismans—art objects imbued with intentions and spells. These spells are cast through scripting, or the use of writing as a form of spell casting. What first caught my attention was the glistening gold of the script in contrast to the dark paper. Depending on the painting, the scripting is either centered within the frame or extends beyond its edges. Up close, the brushstrokes of the script are visible, creating a mesmerizing texture of both opaque and translucent line work. The lines create a pattern that my eyes wanted to follow.
I’m curious about the artist’s approach to scripting. I imagine harnessing the intention of the spell and bringing that intention into the strokes. As viewers, to engage in the script is to receive the blessings. In an artist statement, Stoneking says that the script is “arcane,” or only known to a selected few. I love when art meets the occult (which it often does!) because we get temporary access to a spiritual realm that has different ways of making sense and communicating.
Reflection: When’s the last time you felt art has blessed you?