Armando Avila
The entertainment and media worlds tend to promote the idea that people can only be labeled as one thing. This is especially true in princess movies such as Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty. The princess is portrayed as an innocent who can’t harm, while the villain is portrayed as someone who can only be evil. However, the reality is that there is no such thing as being only good or only bad. Artists, such as Vuhlandes and Nacho López, show that life is more complex and can't be summarized as one thing. Both artists use photography to portray their lifestyles and the reality of their lived experience. Growing up in Detroit, Vuhlandes was dissatisfied with media portrayals of Black Americans in the city. He wanted to change this and used photography to show the beauty of people in Detroit and to reflect the fact that some of its residents rely on guns as a means of survival. Meanwhile, the Mexican government promoted the idea that Mexico is a great nation with a lot of wealth and fairness. However, another reality was that many Mexicans live in poverty while corrupt government officials live rich lives. López used photography to portray the harsh life of many Mexicans, but also showed how they cherish simple things such as friends and family. Raised as a Mexican American, I connect to these two artists. Like them, I also realize that people tend to label certain groups of people as good or bad. To challenge this idea, I create photos using domestic objects, people I am close to, and locations from my childhood or culture to help viewers better understand who I am. For example, I might capture simple things such as Mexican dishes in a photo. I love my culture. I love making tamales, celebrating Día de los Muertos, wearing chanclas indoors, and much more. I don’t care if the media or people in power tell everyone that Mexicans are dirty, illegal, and uneducated. I am proud to be Mexican. I want to investigate people's preconceptions and show that culture can be more than one thing.