Laura Aguilar

One of the artist we discussed in class this week was Laura Aguilar. She is a photographer who uses herself as her subject. I really enjoyed the her work; I found it to be powerful and striking with a clear message. She uses herself as her subject because that is what she is most comfortable with.

What I found most compelling about Aguilar was her series of photographs in the desert. She is nude and she positions herself in between rocks, slabs of earth, water, and whatever else is in the desert. Aguilar becomes an extension of the desert. The video we watch in class about her taking about her work was especially eye-opening. She mentioned that she poses in the desert because so that her body becomes a part of the earth. Her body is untouched, much like the desert. I also found it really interesting that she said the way she starting getting comfortable in her own skin is by photographing herself in the nude. A lot of time you would think that exposing yourself and letting yourself be vulnerable would be even more intimidating, but for Aguilar it was freeing. Laura Aguilar is an excellent example of an artist who shares her life through her art.