Yvone Lazos, 3rd Place Winner

Winner of the Winter 2012 Competition

WOMANifesto

The voice of women artists in the 21st century.

BEHIND THE CONTROL BOX

digital imaging

14 x 18 in
150. usd giclee print

artist statement

I consider my work to be bohemian surreal, an escape from conformity. I am interested in bucking pop-culture ideas of women and the unrealistic altruistic characteristic of being a woman. I use satire, along with other tools such as sexuality, taboos, death, loneliness, femininity, entomology, and anatomy to uncover anxieties and to analytically display them to the viewer.

My images are self-portraits or narratives that are greatly influenced by Frida Kahlo, Joel Peter Witkin, Remedios Varo, Maggie Taylor and Tilman Faelker. Other elements in my work deal with personal influences such as Catholicism, childhood, Mexico, and my ethnicity.

Behind the control box relates to the theme of post-feminism in that it is the response of gaining the lost control back. A person can be controlled to the point that they can no longer recognize who they are or what they have become.

The mirror is an object from distant past to the now. It is an object used to look at the physical form. In esoteric forms it is a symbolism of spiritual reflection. It also references past feminist esthetics. The mirror is used as a symbol of physical and spiritual reflection. The reflection of the person inside is broken up, and seems to be reaching out to the physical form. The face is unrecognizable because there is no stable identity. The conundrum between the two is that they are searching to become one and to become recognizable. To find the identity that was lost. The broken pieces must be put together. The search must be worked out within spiritually so that physical identity is recognizable.

bio

Yvonne Lazos was born in El Paso, Texas. She owned her first fuchsia Kodak Instamatic at the age of 11. She is an emerging digital artist working in surrealism because it allows her to work out past experiences or address anxieties that she experiences in life or observes in other lives. Digital imaging allows her to be honest and imaginative at the same time.

EDUCATION

B.F.A. Art Concentration in Photography, Minor in Art History University of Texas at Arlington, 2012
Special Studies: Body As Resource w/ Richard Klein, Wintermester 2012

EXHIBITIONS

ATPI Invitational Showcase', Fine Arts Bldg, UT Arlington, Feb 5 - 15 2012
Truck Gallery, Dallas, UT Arlington November 2011
College Hall Invitational Showcase, College Hall, UT Arlington October 2011

Yvonne Lazos

yvonne lazos

fort worth, texas [USA]

www.yvonnelazos.com

lazos.yvonne@gmail.com

ArtSceneToday Q&A

Q: Where do you see yourself in the art scene today?

A: I see myself as an artist working in surrealism. I started out lost and needed to identify my passions. I found that in digital imaging I was “free”, free from the technicalities of straight photography. I enjoyed creating photomontages with multiple images to create an imaginary image. I noticed other techniques and concepts as used by past surreal artists I had studied. Like other surreal artists, my work seems to have an underlying message. I also use objects as symbols to uncover anxieties to be analyzed.

Q: What is in your inspiration?

A: I think what continues to pop up in my inspiration is a feminist view point and uses of anatomy, insects, death, loneliness, memory and sexuality. Personal influences have been my ethnicity, Catholicism and childhood. Some inspiration comes from personal experiences, seeing loved ones go through situations and the anxiety that life can create with its forever changing fragile state.

Q: What are your challenges?

A: I think some of the challenges I face are being a digital artist. Digital imaging has not been fully embraced by the photographic community. Digital imaging is like any other art movement that has occurred throughout the history of art. It will take time for the dust to settle, but I think eventually it will find its place.

Q: How did you/do you choose your medium?

A:I chose my medium because I could work out past experiences or address anxieties that I feel in life or saw others go through. I could be honest and imaginative at the same time. As a child I enjoyed the aesthetics and juxtapositions that can be created photo montaging or collaging. I do study other mediums such as illustrations, line drawing, painting and mixed media art. With my digital imaging I try to mimic styles of other mediums to make them my own so that the final image is appears to be more than a photograph.

Q: Which artist has influenced you the most?

A:That is a tough question. It is hard not be influenced by many artists at once and for many different reasons. One artist you can like the way they emotionally convey themselves in picture, while with another you like the way they apply pigment to a painting or drawing. I would say that Frida Kahlo is one that I have been following a long while now. Being that she is a surreal artist and had a unique way of emotionally conveying her struggles in life into picture. You just cannot ignore that type of power and honesty in an artwork. I have a few I have named the artist I have followed the longest.

GO TO

WOMANifesto

Exhibition Page

other works by the artist