Santa Fe

Well I survived another portfolio review session. I think I came away with the same conclusions about my work as I did after the Fotofest reviews in March: I need to photograph MORE. I was so impressed and somewhat jealous of several of the projects I saw in Santa Fe. The quality of work as a whole surpassed that of the photographs I saw during my session at Fotofest. Even more important than the feedback I got on my work were the relationships I made with photo editors, gallery and museum directors as well as photographers from all across the country. It might sound so silly however it truly is inspiring to meet the photographer behind the photographs. I too seemed to have my own fan base out there. I met several people who recognized my work when I handed them a card featuring Sale–the floral vending machine image.


I find it funny that during these type of events people tend to form little groups. I'm not sure exactly how or why certain photographers group together. Is it a common theme among the works? Is it a shared background or city? I happened to be one of the few participants not from New York. Although I still think of Brooklyn as home I was happy to be representing Texas. I found myself surrounded by several wonderful female photographers who gladly shared their work and critiqued my own. And of course there were a few male photographers who braved to look at my Repository project. One photographer named John mentioned he'd seen my work on Center's site and had grown up in a family of gynecologists. It was quite wonderful talking with a man about the work and him knowing more than me in some cases about the subject matter and terminology.

It was great running in to familiar faces such as Mary Virgina Swanson, Ann Pallesen Darren Ching and Debra Klomp Ching, Michael Mazzeo, Carrie Villines and Rachel Dunville. I also had the pleasure of meeting Sarah Small who'd I'd exhibited with and Jennifer Boomer whose work has been introduced to me by photographer Timothy Briner. This little world of ours seems to get smaller by the minute.


While I didn't have the opportunity to personally meet all 100 photographers and see their work at this years reviews I met several passionate photographers who I seemed to gravitate towards. I would say the person whose work was most closely related to my own was that of Katie Almanas. She too makes work which is extremely personal to her involving a medical theme. Yet her take is quite unexpected, beautifully composed and at times quirky. Katie's work was actually introduced to me at the review by photographer Rebecca Sitller Schrock who like Katie uses food as one of her subjects. Although looking at Rebecca's images on the website is nothing compared to seeing her large scale color photographs which are really exquisite. I do hope she wants to trade one day, hint hint!


I can't leave the boys out......I did see several great projects by male photographers such as Jason DeMarte, Eric Percher, Colin Blakely, and Ben Handzo.

Thanks to everyone who took the time to share their work with me and who were kind enough to look at and review my work. If nothing else happens which I really do hope something BIG comes from my meetings, I have one or two new projects in mind as well as some idea of how to continue current works. Now all I need is to find funding!

Domestic Work in Progress

Its been awhile since I've had the time to shoot. I can't say my ideas are well formed yet. I feel my Polaroids are sketches. Just simple line drawings that can twist and reshape themselves or even be completely erased as I go.

I've been thinking for awhile about doing a project on my relationship to my mother and the way she spent her 30's. My mother was married with three children and here I am at 30–single, an artist and a professor. Is the road she chose any less successful, adventurous or heroic? I have a few outfits which belonged to my mother from when I was younger. I plan to photograph myself in these garments but also depict memories I have of my mother and dress in my clothes–ironically a style of dress which stems from her era as well as my Cuban heritage.

Home Stretch

Three days to go till my first museum opening. Yes I'm excited. This past weekend I traveled from Houston to pick up my three prints for the show and hand delivered them to Austin and then returned the next day to Houston. Nothing can prepare you for the amount of time, energy and especially cash that goes in to getting your work seen. This year as in 2008 I've already spent hundreds on competitions, portfolio reviews etc in addition to printing, shipping and return shipping works to three separate shows happening simultaneously. Its the price of being an artist you could say and of course its a catch 22. You are poor because you are an artist however you can't get your work out there, seen by the right people unless you spend money which you know you don't have. On top of that you want to make new work because once your art is out there and people start paying attention they want to know what you are working on now. Again more money spent that you don't already have. Debt is a common word out of my moth. Credit card and student loan debt–it never seems like it will go away. I'm hoping that from these recent shows others will come and hopefully lead to sales or a solo show. As an artist as many of my artist friends know you have to stay positive keep pushing your work even when you get back hundreds of rejection letters. Eventually your work will be in front of the right person at the right time and things will snowball from there. At least thats what I have been told.

And And So On....A Cutorial experiment in groups of 100

I was recently invited to participate in an online curatorial experiment started by Dan Halm. Dan selected two artists who then each selected their own two artists to feature 'And So On'. I was lucky enough to be selected by Amy Stein who also chose Shen Wei. I wanted to select artists other than photographers, revealing just how much other mediums can influence, comment on and re-enforce my own ideas.

The two artists I selected both use human hair as an element in their works. I am personally drawn to Victorian mourning jewelry. I am fascinated with the idea of preserving the memory of someone deceased by containing a 'piece' of them. The containment of our bodies and its parts is something I explore in my own work. When I saw Melanie Bilenker's brooches made with her own hair, I was immediately moved by her process. Langdon Graves's sculptures and installations look and feel like the physical extension of my own photographs.

I am just as curious as Dan is to see where this first round of artists picking artists leads. I hope to discover new works which will inspire my own and I hope to turn others on to my personal favorites.

Road to Nac

Commuting from Austin to Nacogdoches on a weekly basis provides long stretches of road and time alone. To break up the four-hour drive I stop at the half way point between 79 and 7 in a small town called Marquez. The corner store which also serves as a small diner is next to the bait shop and liquor store. Most times when I stop in not much is happening. I typically spend 15-30 minutes in town looking for images. I plan to periodically share some of my photos from this adventure.

Work in Progress

Since completing my MFA my art work production has slowed. I have the ideas however not the time nor the funds set aside for experimentation. One of my works in progress is a series on my little brother, David, who suffers from a chronic illness known as Neurofibromatosis. I don't think I want to do a documentary on him however the idea of how this illness has effected him as well as myself for the last 21 years is of interest. There are several symptoms associated with the illness that I am exploring through photography, video, sculpture and performance. The image was taken in August 2007 following my brother's most recent surgery to remove several cysts that appear just below the skin's surface. The image is a visual reminder for me of my feelings during this period of time and the physical representation of the illness seen in the scars of my brother's body.