DESIRE AND FEAR

A consistent exploration in the work of Juan Carlos del Valle is the tension between what we want and what we fear. In Juan Carlos's work, eating is equated to possessing and that is why temptation often takes the form of sweets, candies and cakes that seduce the viewer, stimulating their senses by emulating psychological states –such as vulnerability, fear or decadence–, as well as characteristics, behaviors and reactions of the human anatomy. The artist has also addressed the equivalence between desire and eating through fables and children's stories, as in the work Red Ridin’ Hood in which the wolf, traditionally portrayed as the predator, is subordinated to a red-lipped Riding Hood who dominates the composition. The problematization of fairytale characters conceived as morally good is also revealed in Before the Bite, which depicts a Snow White-Eve about to bite the proverbial apple.