Date: January 26th, 2018
Time: 6:00pm - 9:00pm (Artist Talk at 7:30pm)
La Pulga Pop-up Exhibition and Zine Sale
Deep Red Press and photographer Arlene Mejorado are pleased to bring a special pop-up exhibition of the work and photo zine, La Pulga to Austin, TX. Mejorado’s photographic series La Pulga captures the rich and vibrant culture of San Antonio's' flea market and pulga community. Through colorful and lively portraiture of market goers, vendors and still lives, her documents speak of people existing outside of the main stream of visual consumption and economic privilege. La Pulga brings visibility and dignity to the forefront of these communities at a time where latino immigrants are the discussion point for hateful and extremist dialogue. Her work represents working class Latina/os that make up the beating heart of San Antonio, TX. The event will feature selected photographs of the series supplemented with an artist talk where Mejorado will discuss her photographic process, on-going collaborations, publications and self-publishing herself.
About the Artist:
Arlene Mejorado is an artist and photographer specializing in creative documentary work. Raised in Los Angeles, she is the daughter of migrants, a nepantera, and passionate observer. Mejorado earned her Bachelor's in Latin American Studies and Communications from the University of Texas at Austin working in both digital and print media. Her books, zines, digital content platforms, photography, and video illustrate the layered experiences and voices within different communities. Mejorado is critical and self-reflective of the process of documentation, as her projects often interweave themes of migration, diasporas, cultural hybridity, gender-queerness, race, and identity through a sensitive lens. Though her works is often created from real life material, it is also a process of self-expression and experimentation.
Artist Statement:
La Pulga is photo series that centers working class Latina/o communities of San Antonio, TX through various portraits. Pulgas, flea markets, mercados, tangius, and swap meets are visually rich scenes that intertwine labor with social engagement and performance. I believes the outdoor market in any society is an energetic vortex of bursting life that permeates both the synchronicity of social order and the unpredictability of chaos. Through constant visits to pulgas in San Antonio, I capture individuals that partake in outdoor market culture. These images reflect people that exist outside of pop culture’s visual consumption and “photogenic” socialites. This digital exhibit brings visibility to the daily resilience, thriving community, and vibrant beauty that exist in the pulgas on the outskirts of the city. The faces and culture she encounters in these spaces represent the beating heart of San Antonio.
***The photo zine title 'La Pulga: photographs by Arlene Mejorado' published by Deep Red Press will be available for purchase as well as a selection of additional publications.***
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