Caminando (Puebla)

digital collage prints
24 inches x 16 inches
2016

This series of photo collages are compositions of images I captured during my time in Puebla, Mexico. Each work is a construction of 4-5 images layered together, recalling the physical textures and terrain of walking throughout downtown.

The images here include the original digital collage file and detail images of the cotton prints.



Calidad de Puebla

digital image collages printed on cotton paper
20 x 30 inches
2016

This series of photo collages is comprised of images I captured during my one-month residency in Puebla, Mexico. These works explore the way color, texture, and light denote time, space and cultural histories in downtown Puebla. The images here include the original digital collage file and one detail image of the cotton paper prints.

In Puebla, my research focused on Mexico's cotton textile revolution from approximately 1910-1923, with a special focus on the role class played in the movement. This revolution redefined labor laws for textile factory workers, a rapidly expanding industry in Mexico during the 19h and early 20th century. The revolution was led largely by the working class after the Diaz federal government collapsed. Without a stable central authority in place to maintain order, industry workers were able to rise and demand significant changes to working conditions, from daily shift limits and fair pay to child labor laws. This revolution laid the groundwork for modern day labor laws and the strength of unions in Mexico's various manufacturing industries.

The word 'calidad' references Puebla and Mexico's colonialist history with Spain. Translated into English, the term literally means "quality" but historically this word was employed by Spanish colonists as part of a narrative to determine class structures within Mexico between Europeans, indigenous people, and other races. Calidad was referenced as a term for identifying class not only by bloodline and descendancy but the quality of an individual's way of life, including dress, social associations, and religious practices.