STATEMENTS
Historias del Paraíso
By using out-of-this-time and out-of-context elements I intented to obtained metaphorical images to sensitize the audience about caring for the planet and reflecting on the world that we shall leave behind to future generations.
Through the conventions of staged photography I aim to present a series of images based on the life cycle. These images also touch on issues that affect our environment with the hope of raising questions regarding the state of the planet we inhabit.
My approach to this new series references environmental issues and concerns I had from an early age.
"Although there are many problems affecting my country right now, my frustration and indignant stance toward the severe problematic that we face with environmental issues has forced me to find viable strategies in the hope of leaving a better legacy for my country and my sons: the possibility of creating a better and cleaner environment for all"
Multiracial
This project consists of a series of 16 color portraits of people of mixed ethnic origin in front of primary color backgrounds. The images challenge the concept of race by highlighting the disparity between the stark natural boundaries between the primary colors, and the ambiguous and artificial, yet commonly accepted boundaries between the different races. This project asks the viewer to question the existence of race in nature.
The aim of the portraits is to strip our idea of race down to its elements. It is in this nakedness that the viewer watches the races literally dissolve in front of their face like so many moth-eaten clothes. The tone is neither confrontational nor ironic, but rather unassuming in its directness.
The portraits have an intimacy which allow the viewer to confront this disparity without sacrificing the humanity of the subjects.
This project was made possible by a grant from the Mexican National Fund for Art and Culture (FONCA)
People I like
I am photographing divas, rock stars, party goers, drama queens and artists,
people that fascinate me, all of them Latinos. They are part of what I
believe to be a breakthrough in the Latino cultural scene of New York City.
They are all injecting the city with fresh, interesting and chic elements
through their art making. I am adding universal stereotypes to their already
existing alter egos creating a time-encapsulated portrait.
The real story of the Superheroes
After September 11, the notion of the “hero” began to rear its head in the public consciousness more and more frequently. The notion served a necessity in a time of national and global crisis to acknowledge those who showed extraordinary courage or determination in the face of danger, sometimes even sacrificing their lives in an attempt to save others. However, in the whirlwind of journalism surrounding these deservedly front-page disasters and emergencies, it is easy to take for granted the heroes who sacrifice immeasurable life and labor in their day to day lives for the good of others, but do so in a somewhat less spectacular setting.
The Mexican immigrant worker in New York is a perfect example of the hero who has gone unnoticed. It is common for a Mexican worker in New York to work extraordinary hours in extreme conditions for very low wages which are saved at great cost and sacrifice and sent to families and communities in Mexico who rely on them to survive.
The Mexican economy has quietly become dependent on the money sent from workers in the US. Conversely, the US economy has quietly become dependent on the labor of Mexican immigrants. Along with the depth of their sacrifice, it is the quietness of this dependence which makes Mexican immigrant workers a subject of interest.
The principal objective of this series is to pay homage to these brave and determined men and women that somehow manage, without the help of any supernatural power, to withstand extreme conditions of labor in order to help their families and communities survive and prosper.
This project consists of 20 color photographs of Mexican and Latino immigrants dressed in the costumes of popular American and Mexican superheroes. Each photo pictures the worker/superhero in their work environment, and is accompanied by a short text including the worker’s name, their hometown, the number of years they have been working in New York, and the amount of money they send to their families each week.
The Wonderful life of Andy
The Wonderful life of Andy is a series of documentary – fictional photographs concerning the life of the beautiful Andy, a young contemporary woman who passionately lives the spirit and aesthetic of the '50s.
Andy's peculiar life - style has turned into an inspirational example for a generation of Mexican youth – a life that, next to her son, Maximiliano, and Vincent, her husband ( lead singer of Rebel Cats), is closely observed.
The marvelous life of Andy is a fictitious series based on the reality of a couple whose musical involvement in the Mexican scene has begun solidifying aesthetic guidelines. I find it deeply engaging and thus important to document.
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