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Tijuana

These oil and gouache paintings interpret the resourcefully improvised domestic dwellings and infrastructure of the once rapidly expanding working-class communities of Tijuana, Mexico. The oil paintings examine the repurposing of cast-off garage doors from vintage San Diego subdivisions to build sturdy four-walled Mexican homes. These garage doors—once an important façade component for mid-century American commuter homes—now function as the only façade for households that often cannot afford a car. This subtle irony—as well as these homes’ iconic beauty—is as compelling as the complex social and economic contingencies that shape these communities.

Estas pinturas al óleo y gouache interpretan la ingeniosa improvisación en las viviendas e infraestructura de las crecientes comunidades de clase trabajadora en Tijuana, México. Los óleos examinan el reúso de puertas de cochera—deshechadas por antiguas entidades sandieguinas—para construir resistentes hogares de cuatro paredes en México. Estas puertas de cochera, que previamente fueron un elemento muy importante de la fachada de las casas norteamericanas de mitad de siglo, ahora funcionan como la única achada en hogares cuyos habitantes (la mayor parte de las veces) no pueden comprar un auto. Esta sutil ironía, así como la belleza icónica de estas casas, es tan convincente como las complejas contingencias sociales y económicas que dan forma a estas comunidades.

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Tijuana

04 G4 C5, 2008, oil on panel, 11" x 14"

Tijuana

Diamond Home, 2008, oil on panel, 11" x 14"

Tijuana

Duplex, 2008, oil on panel, 11" x 14"

Tijuana

Brown Home, 2008, oil on panel, 11" x 14"

Tijuana

Tidy Duplex, 2008, oil on panel, 11" x 14"

Tijuana

Beige Home, 2008, oil on panel, 11" x 14"

Tijuana

Pink Home, 2008, oil on panel, 11" x 14"

Tijuana

Tienda, 2008, oil on panel, 11" x 14"

Tijuana

Ruta Dos Mil, 2007, oil on panel, 11" x 14"

Tijuana

Ruta Dos Mil 2, 2007, oil on panel, 11" x 14"

Tijuana

Ruta Dos Mil 3, 2007, oil on panel, 11 " x 14"

Tijuana

Nosotros, 2007, watercolor on paper, 10" x 20"

Tijuana

Lazaro Cardenas, 2007, watercolor on paper, 11" x 17"

Tijuana

La Gloria Jardin 2007, watercolor on paper, 11" x 17"

Tijuana

La Gloria Jardin 2, 2006, watercolor on paper, 9" x 12"

Tijuana

La Gloria Jardin 3, 2006, watercolor on paper, 9" x 12"

mexicali-experiment

La Gloria Monolith, 2006, watercolor on paper, 9" x 12"

Tijuana

La Gloria Memento Mori, 2006, watercolor on paper, 9" x 12"

Tijuana

Watershed with Palm, 2006, watercolor on paper, 9" x 12"

Tijuana

Watershed with Pink Barrel, 2006, watercolor on paper, 9" x 12"

Tijuana

Watershed with View, 2006, watercolor on paper, 9" x 12"

Tijuana

Watershed with Barrel, 2006, watercolor on paper, 9" x 12"

Tijuana

Watershed with Gate, 2005, watercolor on paper, 9" x 12"

Tijuana

Watershed with Tires, 2005, watercolor on paper, 9" x 12"

Tijuana

Watershed with Rocks, 2005, watercolor on paper, 9" x 12"

Tijuana

Watershed with Home, 2006, watercolor on paper, 9" x 12"

Tijuana

Watershed with Dog, 2005, watercolor on paper, 9" x 12"

Tijuana

La Morita Infrastructure, 2005, watercolor on paper, 9" x 12"

Tijuana

La Gloria Construction, 2006, watercolor on paper, 9" x 12"

Tijuana

Infrastructure with Shoe, 2005, watercolor on paper, 9" x 12"

Tijuana

Infrastructure with Cliff, 2005, watercolor on paper, 9" x 12"

Tijuana

Infrastructure with Ornament, 2005, watercolor on paper, 9" x 12"

Tijuana

La Morita Infrastructure, 2005, watercolor on paper, 9" x 12"

Tijuana

La Morita Infrastructure 2, 2005, watercolor on paper, 9" x 12"

Tijuana

Installation view of the Research & Desire exhibition, Lake Tahoe Community College, 2016

Tijuana

Installation view of the Research & Desire exhibition, Lake Tahoe Community College, 2016

Tijuana

Installation view of the Research & Desire exhibition, Lake Tahoe Community College, 2016

Tijuana

Installation view of the Research & Desire exhibition, Lake Tahoe Community College, 2016

All images and text © 2025: Cynthia Hooper