TOPIC: TRANSLATIONS

In Mexican American Sequence #1, I decided to portray myself through Mexican American mosaic photographs. This is the first body of work I have done that explores my Mexican American Identity.

My photographic background played a role in using photography as the medium. But the mosaic tiling came from looking at the long Mexican history of utilizing tile. It also speaks to my identity being fragmented and put together by these two cultures which compose me. 

I compared my Mexican culture and heritage with my American nationality and the reinvention of a hybrid culture.  What I mean by a hybrid culture is the way in which the strong foundation of my Mexican culture "translates" to and is embedded within my American identity. The mosaic portraits give me the freedom to portray both sides individually and united as one. I want the viewer to be engulfed by the colors while beginning a dialogue with themselves through the work.

Born in Southern California, Mayte Escobar is a first generation Mexican American. She has been intertwined with the Mexican American border as a child and creates work that deals with her dual identity. She explores the cultural and political issues surrounding the border. She is currently earning her MFA at California State University in San Bernardino, California. 

View more images from the series and recent work by Mayte Escboar on her website and heck out her EAS profile here.