Paloma Mayorga
untitled, 2020, digital photograph. Photo courtesy of the artist.
Describe your artistic style in three words.
bodily, organic, movement
What's inspiring you right now?
Robin Wall Kimmerer's book "Braiding Sweetgrass" and researching the seventeen-year cicadas. There is something really lovely about slowing down and allowing the earth to gift us a bit of magic.
What do you do when you're feeling uninspired?
I ground myself. Literally! Dipping my hands into fresh soil to repot a plant that needs a little more room to grow is my form of self-care. The smell of wet earth, feeling the textures of nature, the act of caring for another living organism — tending to plants leaves me feeling inspired and connected.
Tell us something unique about your process.
Over the past couple of years, my kitchen has served as my studio. I've learned to cook gelatin as a base for my photo transfers, and even experimented with new recipes to make dinner from the edible plants featured in my scanned works. I've always found comfort in the ritual of cooking and I love that this has worked its way into my artistic practice.
What advice do you have for other artists?
Document your ideas. I've recently started the practice of writing or sketching out ideas for works I want to create, even if they are not fully formed yet or are simply passing thoughts. This allows me to revisit ideas, notice patterns or subjects that call to me, and ultimately make work that I am truly invested in.
Vales oro (You are worth gold), 2017, digital photograph. Photo courtesy of the artist.
untitled, 2019, digital photograph. Photo courtesy of the artist.
untitled, 2019, photo transfer on glass, 8 x 10” each. Exhibition opening, The Contemporary Austin’s Crit Group 2019 Exhibition, grayDUCK gallery, Austin, Texas. Photo by Brian Fitzsimmons.
untitled, 2019, photo transfer on glass, 8 x 10” each. Exhibition opening, The Contemporary Austin’s Crit Group 2019 Exhibition, grayDUCK gallery, Austin, Texas. Photo by Brian Fitzsimmons.
tócame/no me toques (touch me/touch me not), 2019, photo transfer on gelatin, 2 x 3 inches. Photo courtesy of the artist.
tócame/no me toques (touch me/touch me not), 2021, photo transfer on gelatin. Installation view of After Carolee: Tender and Fierce, Artpace, San Antonio, Texas
Through unconventional forms of photography, Paloma Mayorga documents the interaction between her body and other natural objects to create elaborate self-portraits that beg the viewer to consider the subtleties of touch. Her work is inspired by ecofeminist philosophies and explores gender politics as well as human behavior.