Photography Take Three
By OCinSite At-Large | May 04, 2011 1:18 PM
Cecelia Paredes
By Dani Fankhauser | Laguna Beach Magazine, May 2011
It is usually the photographer who looks through a lens, but in Saltfineart’s May exhibit, viewers will rediscover photography as if through a new pair of glasses. Saltfineart, a north Laguna gallery dedicated to Latin American artists, is proud to present a group show comprised of three female photographers: Ana Mercedes Hoyos, Cecilia Paredes and Cinthya Soto. But there, the similarities end.
Ana Mercedes Hoyos
Ana Mercedes is part photographer, part anthropologist, using her art to explore the Palenqueros, an Afro-Latin community on Colombia’s Caribbean coast with a matriarchal social structure.
“She’s not creating these scenes, she’s finding them,” explains Carla Tesak, owner of Saltfineart. Ana Mercedes’ works are found in museums throughout Latin America, but also Japan, Spain and New York, with 55 permanent collections on four continents.
Cecilia Paredes blurs the line between photography and installation with images of a person somewhat camouflaged into the scene behind them. Viewers wonder if they are looking at a rendition of artwork or if the photograph is itself the art. One glimpse at her work is enough to realize she is creating not only a truly original work, but also a new genre.
“She’s actually painting herself and the background, then photographing it,” Carla explains. Cecilia just opened a solo show in MOMA Moscow in January.
Cinthya Soto
The first look at Cinthya Soto’s works may not indicate photography, but a second take will. Her series called “Pictography” is made of photographs of painted murals—capturing reality and illustration at the same time.
“I thought they had an interesting juxtaposition—three female photographers pushing the medium forward in different ways,” Carla says.
The show will open with a reception on May 5 and run through June 30.
More info: 1492 S. Coast Hwy., Unit 3; 949-715-5554; saltfineart.com
