Interviews & writings
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Interview with the artist Andrea Peñas. Follow the link to access the full text.
https://ugc.production.linktr.ee/ee327cc6-62ba-4745-89ad-9bb814e556f6_combinepdf.pdf
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Interview with the Artist Mika Revell. Took place in October 2024. Follow the link to access the full text.
https://ugc.production.linktr.ee/dd6ff9fd-f8b1-437e-b99e-4ad11f707ce7_FINALPAGE1-combined.pdf
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June Crespo artist deep dive. Follow the link to access the full text.
https://ugc.production.linktr.ee/3f7ce1b2-c238-4d63-91be-62e8ffa3340e_FULLDATEARTICLEJUNE.pdf
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This paper explores the intersection between surrealism and queer identity, highlighting the paradox that, despite its homophobic origins, surrealism provides a space for queer artistic expression. Focusing on Claude Cahun, a genderqueer surrealist, the essay examines how their work employs surrealist techniques—such as automatism and dreamlike imagery—to challenge rigid gender norms and societal labels. By drawing connections between surrealism’s rejection of rationality and queer theory’s deconstruction of identity, the paper argues that surrealism offers a means of resistance and liberation for queer artists.
Follow the link to access the full text.
https://acrobat.adobe.com/id/urn:aaid:sc:VA6C2:14c65b36-4fd6-4c66-ba03-fa087685b586
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This text explores how marginalized identities, particularly queer bodies like Ocaña’s, challenge nationalistic narratives and cultural norms in Spain’s transition from Francoist dictatorship to democracy. Through an analysis of Ocaña’s performances, media portrayal, and artistic expression, the study highlights how queer individuals become involuntary political figures, their mere existence perceived as radical. By comparing Ocaña’s work to contemporary figures like Drag Sethlas, the text argues that queer bodies remain contested sites of cultural identity, continuously shaping and defying societal expectations.
Follow the link to access the full text.
https://acrobat.adobe.com/id/urn:aaid:sc:VA6C2:2657fca5-8810-4a19-8957-2119cda03342
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This text explores how the American state cultivates a culture of victimhood as a mechanism of thoughtlessness, inhibiting individuals from critically reflecting on their ethical and moral responsibilities. Drawing on Hannah Arendt’s concept of the "banality of evil," it argues that identity politics, economic disparity, and nationalistic narratives create a distraction that prevents citizens from recognizing systemic exploitation and global injustices. Ultimately, the essay suggests that this deliberate fragmentation of societal discourse allows the American empire to maintain its power while evading direct accountability.
Follow the Link to access the full text.
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Undergraduate Senior Thesis in Visual Critical Studies.
This thesis, acting as a glorified artist statement examines how the body becomes central to the
relationship between the individual and the state, and to the formation of national identity. Through the
examination of the Spanish Mantón de Manila (Manila Shawl) this thesis will explore its evolving cultural
implications from its emergence along imperial trade routes to its significance in modern Spanish culture.
By focusing on the shawl as a site for artistic exploration this thesis will introduce a material practice called
Corporeal Consumption which uses latex and hair as a conceptual contribution, reframing the Mantón de
Manila, as a site of contested ownership, cultural diffusion, and cultural consumption, is the focus of this thesis, which explores culture’s role as a consumable and reflects on how heritage is negotiated, sanitized, and repurposed within broader nationalist frameworks.
https://acrobat.adobe.com/id/urn:aaid:sc:VA6C2:4b9dab6f-c860-4f50-bcff-f16817709985