Natalia Garcia-Lee // Monkey Mind – Deering Spring Contemporary 2020

Natalia Garcia-Lee’s new suite of paintings are the culmination of her study of human behavior from the perspective of neuroscience and is located at the intersection of art and science. Through a series intricately applied layers of paint and interlacing patterns, Garcia-Lee’s paintings trace the chemical processes of the brain that cause human beings to react, feel and exist in response to a world of stimuli. She refers to these works as the “Monkey Mind” series in reference to the Buddhist concept of the restless and reactive state of the mind of the contemporary world. Each painting in the series illustrates a reaction or chemical process and can be understood as an interconnected framework of neurons and neurotransmitters that form the mind and behavior. Through her use of atmospheric colors and layering, Garcia-Lee’s paintings recall the depth of color field painting and demonstrate her command of the language of abstraction. Director of Photography & Camera Op: Jorge Gonzalez-Graupera Produced & Edited by Jorge Gonzalez-Graupera Drone Photography by Javier Sanchez Post Production Audio by Daniel Abrusci (Loyal Sound) Special Thanks to Melissa Diaz Monkey Mind is part of Deering Spring Contemporary Projects organized by Melissa Diaz – Cultural Arts Curator, Deering Estate. With assistance by Dianley Cabrera – Curatorial & Programs Associate, Deering Estate and Sofia Guerra – Curatorial & Historic Preservation Intern, Deering Estate. Special thanks to Sergio Cernuda and Luisa Lignarolo, LnS Gallery, Miami FL; and Drew Kevorkian and Solmaz Rashidi. Cultural Arts Programming at the Deering Estate is made possible with the support of the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs and the Cultural Affairs Council, the Miami-Dade County Mayor and Board of County Commissioners, and The Deering Estate Foundation, Inc.