la Historia del Manana

Lahistoria del manana

Artist: Joel Lara

Information: Created in 2021; measures 9 feet by 1 foot, 10 inches; weighs 60 pounds; made of steel, aluminum, copper/aluminum wire, and spray paint.

Description: This piece was selected to be put on display in Elkhart County because it brings awareness to suicide and positivity. This is a taboo subject which needs to be talked about as many battle with various mental illnesses. More must be said about this matter and not everything about the subject is negative. Not only does this sculpture bring awareness, but it celebrates those who are still fighting and honors those who are no longer with us.  Mental illness is a real thing and not everyone survives it. The epic story of tomorrow can’t be written if it ends today. Thus, the title of this piece, “Lahistoria del manana,” or in English, “The Story of Tomorrow.” It is a representation of the struggle that many, including myself, have or are dealing with. Mental illness is a big thing nowadays and more people are telling their story. By simply sharing your story you can save a person’s life. Without even knowing it, you can be someone’s inspiration to keep fighting and not give up. Life is a struggle, but it only makes you stronger. The creative process to bring this piece to life started by searching and looking up art related to mental illness. From there Joel combined his style with the style of other artists to create this piece. At first, he created a bigger, wider structure, but after struggling to get it to where he wanted, he decided to take it all apart and start fresh. 

For sale: $1,187

About the artist: Joel is an art major at Goshen College. Generally, his media of work is three-dimensional and specifically sculpture or ceramics. Lately what has inspired him is the stories of people battling with mental illness (depression, anxiety, food disorder, etc.).  He has struggled, and still struggles with this personally and he wants to bring awareness and positivity to this illness. Joel’s vision for his art is to provide a way for others to see the good in life and the good in the struggles that we all face. Life is not easy and even waking up every day is an accomplishment already. Joel loves being an artist, because he feels he is free to go into his own little world and bring people in. Artists can express themselves without having to speak because their art speaks for them. He has been a sculptor for since 2018.