Gavazza, Emmalee (Abstract for Pilar Agüero-Esparza)

Agüero-Esparza, Pilar. “Statement.” (N.D.), http://pilaraguero.com/statement

This is the artist’s statement from Agüero-Esparza’s personal website. Here, Agüero-Esparza describes in general terms her approach to creating visual art. She also gives some specific insights into the media used in the portfolio found on her website. According to Agüero-Esparza, her work centers on using materials that she has a personal connection to and letting that relationship dictate how each piece is created. The statement briefly mentions the artist’s ideas about topics like race, class, and gender, then discusses in greater detail how she uses Color Theory to explore ideas about race in her work.

Rupersburg, Nicole. “Pilar Agüero-Esparza is an artist, teacher, and mother who explores themes of labor and domesticity.” Creative Exchange, springboardexchange.com, December 16, 2014, https://springboardexchange.org/pilaragueroesparza/

In this zine article, Rupersburg summarizes parts of her interview with Agüero-Esparza and puts those quotations into context. Biographical information about the artist’s upbringing and background is mixed with commentary on specific works of art that she has created. She talks about being a teacher and how this informs her art. Specific commentary on the philosophy behind works like “Homework House,” “No Children Left,” and “Multicultural Crayons,” among others, is provided. This source provides useful details on how the artist views her own work and the themes or artistic ideas that informed the creation of these particular pieces.

MACLA. “Pilar Agüero-Esparza, Artist Live Takeover.” MACLA Presents: Stories from La Sala, May 12, 2020, https://maclaarte.org/pilar-aguero-esparza/

In this “live takeover,” Agüero-Esparza hosts a roughly half-hour informal virtual chat/hangout for the Movimiento de Arte y Cultura Latino Americana. The session takes place in the artist’s home. She talks about some of the artists whose work is visible in her home before moving on to more in-depth conversation with some of her own pieces. Some are finished pieces and others are works-in-progress. Two-dimensional pieces as well as sculptures are included. Agüero-Esparza explains her thought process while creating these pieces and gives detailed notes about not only what each one represents, but also how she works while making them. Notes about who commissioned the pieces and what their purpose was are also included. A useful primary source for more comprehensive insights into how Agüero-Esparza views her work and what her creative process looks like.