Corridos

Stories, Performance, Installation (2017)

About the Performance - When I was a child I thought the stars were other countries. I believed that when I got on a plane to visit my family in Mexico I was a space traveler. This childhood memory inspired a written work called, "Corridos: Stars as Distant Countries." First written as a monologue, the piece begins with the idea of a patchwork skirt of stories and star travel. “Corridos” explores bi-cultural heritage through personal memory, family history, and folk tales. It is both a celebration of heritage and an exploration of the dark parts of history and colonialism. Performed 10/31/17 at San Jose State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for Masters of Fine Art. Performers: Christabel Soto, Baharak Khaleghi, Carmina Eliason (Photographs of performance by Mike Battey.)

About the Installation - Corridos is a word from Mexico, and describes a form of poetry or song. Corridos are about history, everyday life, social unrest, and stories. Instead of song and poetry, I use a kitchen table and laundry lines as a place for stories to unfold. Hanging from the cords are blue and white sun prints. A constellation of personal, cultural and everyday objects references my mixed heritage experience. I soak the panels, dry them, and stitch them together. This act is a reminder for myself that the work of identity and learning our histories is in constant motion, never finished.

Materials: Cyanotype on cotton, laundry lines, table, chairs

"As I draw the thread in and out a shape begins to form. The shape is a skirt and it's made of stories and star travel. It flows to the ground, around me, enveloping me. I try to make sense of it."