Cartographies of Memory | MIA1| Original 36x36 in (91.44x91.44 cm) CP-A103

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Part of the ongoing Cartographies of Memory series, this mixed-media work transforms the geography of Miami into an emotional landscape—one shaped as much by recollection as by place. The composition traces the invisible rhythms of the city: the convergence of highways, neighborhoods, waterways, and the shifting edge between the urban fabric and the natural world.

Vibrant fluorescent lines cut across the surface like illuminated roadways viewed from above, evoking the movement of cars through Miami's metropolitan network at dusk. To one side, cool aquatic blues suggest the vast presence of the Atlantic Ocean and Biscayne Bay; to the other, luminous greens recall the untamed expanse of the Everglades. Between them lies the city itself—a living threshold where nature, infrastructure, and memory intersect.

Built through layers of collage, paint, sanding, and mark-making, the work reveals fragments that emerge and disappear beneath the surface. Like an aerial map weathered by time, streets dissolve into textures and colors, allowing memory to replace precise geography. The artist's process mirrors the way places are remembered—not as fixed coordinates, but as accumulated experiences, movements, and sensations.

The painting becomes both map and memoir. It captures the energy of Miami not through literal representation, but through traces of passage, light, and connection. Here, the city is reimagined as a palimpsest of journeys—a landscape continuously rewritten by those who move through it, carrying fragments of its colors, roads, and horizons within them

 To preserve the integrity of this mixed media canvas, display it in a dry, temperature-stable environment away from direct sunlight, humidity, and extreme heat. Avoid touching the surface directly, as the layered textures and delicate materials—such as paper fragments and metallics—can be sensitive to oils and abrasion. Dust gently with a soft, dry cloth or a clean, natural-bristle brush. Do not use water, cleaning products, or compressed air. If long-term preservation is a concern, consider professional framing or consultation with a fine art conservator. 

 Crismary Pascarella’s technique blends architectural thinking with intuitive mark-making, using layered paper fragments, collage, pigment, and text to create spatial compositions. She builds and erodes surfaces through sanding and layering, echoing the processes of memory and urban decay—transforming material into emotional geography.