How did you become a photographer? Would you define yourself as a one?
I started my career as a painter, but photography eventually took center stage and felt like a more efficient way to express myself creatively. I believe the boundaries between photography and other media are becoming increasingly blurry, and I am interested in producing work that rises from these intersections. I consider myself both a photographer and an artist, but I think my work sometimes fits better in a contemporary art context than it does in a traditional photographic one.
What drives you as a photographer?
The relationship between photography and sculpture has been one of the core themes throughout my practice, and with each project I’m looking for new ways of expanding this discourse. Throughout history, sculpture and photography have been intertwined, and I am interested in questioning and redefining photography’s various roles within this context. A photograph can be read as a sculpture, ordinary objects can be transformed and perceived differently through an image, and a photograph of a sculpture can become something other than the mere documentation of it.
I try to make images that defy being categorized into a unique type and can be read as photographs, sculptures or paintings. Photography as a medium is changing and expanding into inspiring new directions, and I believe one of its biggest strengths lies in its dialogue with other artistic disciplines.
Studying painting has had a significant impact on how I approach my photographic process. I think of photography as a blank canvas and in ways to foster images that transcend photography’s representational nature.
Do you think there is such a thing as a ‘woman’s gaze’ in photography? Is this something you can relate to?
It is definitely relevant to talk about a “female gaze” in photography, but I would say it applies more to portraiture. On the other hand, one could assign various labels or filters when reading into a work, and this does not necessarily mean this is what the work is about or that it reflects the artist’s intention.
I don’t feel like the female gaze concerns my work particularly, as I’m more focused on objects and sculptural concepts.
Has being a woman influenced your work as an artist in any way?
I do not think being a woman has really influenced my status as an artist. It has had some limitations, because sometimes as a woman you can be more exposed or vulnerable in certain situations, for example when working in places like Mexico City.
In terms of exposure as an artist, there are indeed less women artists shown at galleries and museums than male artists, and I am not quite sure why this continues to be the case today. I have always felt the work should speak for itself, regardless of the artist’s gender, nationality or background, but I do realize this is not always the case.
Do you live off your art?
I wish I did, but I am at the point where everything gets reinvested into making new work. I have other sources of income to support my practice and hopefully one day the balance will change, but with a world in crisis and a fill – art – on the verge of collapsing, this seems unlikely right now.
Which authors have inspired you? Are there any women photographers among them?
Robert Smithson’s writings have always been an important reference and framework for a lot of my work. But recently I have been revisiting the work of Hilma af Klint, Louise Bourgeois and Annie Albers.
In terms of photographers, I would mention: Vivian Sassen, Michael Wolf, László Moholy-Nagy, Wolfgang Tillmans, Anna Atkins, and my favorite Mexican photographer, Graciela Iturbide.
