crowbar in the box

Laura Aguilar is a Los Angeles-based photographer whose work mines the intersection between feminism, body image, queer politics, and latinx identity. Her earliest works depicted latina lesbians in intimate portraits, calling to mind the frankness of Catherine Opie, while her best known series features self-portraits of Aguilar posed nude in the California desert landscape. These photographs are instantly striking, finding in the artist’s body formal elements that echo the landscape itself, as in its doubling here with the giant rock that eludes the frame. Aguilar also forces our gaze onto a body that does not conform to stereotypical images of latinx or feminine identity—a body type that is not so much othered as invisible, despite its ubiquity. The artist originally began to produce these photos as a means of grappling with her own issues with weight and self-acceptance, but quickly came to see them as something more. They offer a profound, ambivalent vision of woman and nature. We see Aguilar dissolve into the landscape in search of anonymity, at the same time that she reclaims the pride and beauty in her body far removed from the society that rejects it.

Hot Water Pot, 15th century Lacquer on wood. The Art Institute of Chicago.  

thank you very much this is kind of you... i have loved drawing them for these past few years.

it's unlikely i'll be able to put out an anniversary piece proper with everything else i have going on, but i am participating in a trilogy zine right now and working on a piece for that. so! eventually i will have another full drawing for you all.

what i will say is that will probably be my last big aa illustration for the foreseeable future. not because i have soured on these games or characters even a little bit, but i can feel myself hitting the wall of what this subject matter has to offer me in terms of creative growth, for the time being. anything i've ever loved as much as i love ace attorney is always something i've ultimately circled back to at times, but i'll need to spend some time elsewhere to return with fresh eyes and a wider skillset. if anything, i'd like to go back to trying to make some real progress on my comic in my spare time, since it's been back burnered for a very long while.

what i can also offer you is this anniversary art i did back in february because i didn't want to skip a year but also didn't post anywhere because i haven't posted any pages.

• I WILL TAKE MY ADHD MEDICATION

• I WILL BRUSH MY TEETH

The Ottolenghi - it is vital that you use 1g of this very expensive ingredient. It comes from a 500g bag with a one-week shelf life.

The time machine - 15-minute recipe! First, leave to marinate overnight...

The dishwasher - one-pot recipe! Now decant your ingredients and wipe out your pot. And again. And again. And again.

The optimist - cook the onions until caramelised (2 minutes).

The kindergarten teacher - get one nommable little tree of broccoli and bosh that into boiling water. Delish!

The brand names only - ingredients: Ritz crackers, Philadelphia cheese, Cool Whip, orange Jell-o...

The 1950s palate - use one (1) clove of garlic and a small pinch of chili flakes (omit if preferred).