Bobbi Mastrangelo with “Da Gracias Por Agua”
Bobbi Mastrangelo is internationally known for her unique wall relief city-scape interpretations of water covers and manhole covers. Her Triptych is collectively titled: “Da Gracias Por Agua.” (Give Thanks for Water)
The first sculpture relief, entitled “Agua Sagrada,” pays homage to Jorge Argueta’s Poems in “Hablando con Madre Tierra.” (“Talking with Mother Earth” illustrated by Lucia Angela Pérez) His powerful, inspirational bi-lingual poems explore a young native Salvadoran boy’s connection to Mother Earth. Tetl’s Grandmother taught him about the spirituality of his Nahuatl Ancestors viewing the Earth as being alive with sacred meaning.
The text inscribed around the simulated water fount is “El Agua Es Sagrada.” (Water is sacred) “Es La Sangre de La Madre Tierra. (It is the blood of Mother Earth.) Jorge Argueta graciously gave permission for me to use these words from his poem “El Agua.”
With water conservation and protection as a recurrent theme, Bobbi envisioned the center piece with “Covers” representing The Four Elements “Los Cuatro Elements:” Tierra, Aire, Agua y Fuego. The four covers float above metallic colored concave wells.
Bobbi enjoyed researching the ancient Aztec, Mayan and Nahuatl Cultures for the borders and designs of the two outside pieces. Atl, the Aztec symbol for water is located in the center of the starburst design.
But it was the contemporary Water Researcher, Masaru Emoto, author of The True Power of Water who influenced the text of the above piece. “Water is a Blessing, Give Thanks for Water,” Bobbi inscribed the Spanish Translation around the water fount: “El Agua Es Una Bendición. Da Gracias Por Agua.”
Emoto believes that: “It is our individual responsibility to learn all we can about water, the most precious resource on the planet and to help shift the consciousness through our thoughts, words and prayers. May our understanding of water help to bring peace to all mankind.”
Bobbi felt Spiritually Blessed as she created this triptych and hoped that Argueta’s philosophy about honoring Mother Earth and Emoto’s revelations about water would resonate to the viewers.