INTERVIEW with artist - Laura Ortiz Vega
Today I bring you another PARTS GALLERY co-exhibitor's fabulous art. The multi layered work of Laura Ortiz Vega.
I'm a huge fan of graffiti / street art and Laura amplifies it to anther level, with depth and cultural cues from observations within her homeland of Mexico.
Tell us in your words, how you'd describe the art your create?
My work is about the contrast between the traditional and the contemporary. It is a mixture of pop culture, baroque and the rich artisan culture of Mexico. The most important characteristic of my art is that it is made by hand, it’s materiality.
I love that your art is a discovery and comes apparent on closer inspection as to how its been created! How did you develop this medium to create your own unique art form?
To create my pieces, I work with the image or my own sketch beneath a layer of a very sticky kind of bee’s wax (called Campeche’s wax) that I apply with a palette knife to make the surface smooth, then, I press down the thread (also with the palette knife) folding it back and forth. In the case of the glass beads, I use a needle to apply one bead at a time.
I'm always drawn to a great piece of urban grunge and graffiti, but your tactile approach based on traditional indigenous crafts makes this urban art form that much more extraordinary. What's your process?
In the Landscape Series, I walk the city and document it, then, I select the composition that I will be recreating later with thread. Many times I choose to work on walls full of graffiti or other visual elements, but some times, it is only an old wall with falling layers of paint. I love to discover the beautiful compositions that are not evident at first glance.
You grew up in Mexico, and its apparent this has been an influence throughout your art. What parts of Mexico have been your biggest influences?
Mexico’s traditional craftsmanship, the art of the Huichol people (they are an indigenous group from the north-center west of the country) in particular, have been the greatest influence in my work, and Mexico City, my greatest inspiration because of it’s great variety of manifestations of culture, the traditional and ancient aside the most contemporary and modern.
Where has your art been exhibited?
I have exhibited in several international art fairs such as Art Toronto, Pulse Miami, LA and London Art Fair, Supermarket Stokholm and ZonaMaco in Mexico City.
My work has been featured in important group shows such as the West Collects Selected Works Exhibition in Philadelphia, Cash, Cans and Candy at Hilger Brottkuntshalle, in Vienna. Three times at the Museum of Popular Art in Mexico City, one of this was a solo show called Cosmograffity which was also presented at Lyons Weir Gallery in New York City.
What big goals do you have in terms of being a working artist?
I'm looking forward to keep promoting my work in North America, mainly in Canada, and collaborate more intensively with it's artists.
ENJOY YOUR ART!
Anna :)