Serpents, often maligned as symbols of evil, are getting a perception makeover through the work of San Antonio artist Audrya Flores. According to a recent San Antonio Report feature, Flores sees the creatures as emblematic of a healing journey—one she's intimately acquainted with. In a workshop at Confluence Park hosted by the San Antonio River Foundation, she urged attendees to collaboratively create a large-scale serpent sculpture using materials sourced from the immediate environment.
In the workshop, Flores sketched the contours of the serpent through nopal and maguey leaves, inviting participants to similarly to engage in the creative process. The resultant piece was as much a collaboration with nature as it was amongst the human artists. Flores explains her philosophy, saying, "the serpent represents a healing path. And I’ve dedicated my life to healing. I’m on a healing journey now," she told the San Antonio Report.
Flores' art is grounded in utilizing organic matter like cactus, tree blossoms, and fruit, melding them into representations that straddle personal and cultural mythology. The "Devouring Mother" drawing in the Culture Commons gallery exemplifies this blend, showing Mother Earth as a formidable force that encompasses life and death. Flores depicted Earth as "fearsome and scary and beautiful and gross and deadly and incredible" to remind people of our planet's power and the need for reverence, according to her statement obtained by the San Antonio Report.
Among those who attended the workshop were Lee Ann Epstein and Cara Salinas, who have known Flores through different facets of life, from roller derby to horticulture. They appreciate Flores' "magic and knowledge" about plant life, with Epstein remarking, "It's amazing how it emerges from her mind," as reported in the San Antonio Report interview. Epstein, who grew up Catholic, appreciated Flores' re-interpretation of the serpent, reflecting on how the snake sheds its skin as a "very feminine" attribute, a distinct departure from traditional connotations.
Flores' work has frequently explored themes of trauma, utilizing serpent imagery to address painful experiences from her past. Her sculpture "Walking the Healing Path" incorporates materials like leather and obsidian, symbolizing the cyclical nature of healing. Flores has spoken of therapy and art as parallel paths to addressing her inner turmoil. She once imagined a barn owl, a "fearsome expert," helping her save her inner child from dark places—a moment she later incorporated into her artwork and recounted to the San Antonio Report.
This transformative work by Flores, which reimagines natural elements and infuses them with personal and cultural significance, will be on public display with her outdoor serpent sculpture at Confluence Park through May 31, and a wall sculpture at Space C7 gallery. Additionally, the Resilient and Responsive exhibition, showcasing pieces that interact with environmental themes, will remain open at the Culture Commons gallery until January 17, as documented by the San Antonio Report.
