Bodyscapes is a photography book that examines my relationship with my body as a source of shame and power. Growing up as a queer latino in a catholic household, my body has often been projected upon by cultural standards. I am creating a series of self-portraits to take control over the limited available representation my image and narrative as a queer latino immigrant. I’m specifically focusing on how the body can be used to challenge notions of masculinity, race, sexuality, and the cultural constructions of the individual. Queer bodies have historically been the sites of shame, violence, and secrecy as a tactic of safety. I’m aiming to have a role in reshaping the cultural influences that lead queer bodies to experience such pain. I want my body, through self portraiture, to become a source of meditation and contemplation as I construct oppositional art in relation to a hostile/non-understanding world.
