Sol Montes De Oca

My art and community collaborations illustrate my journey of self-discovery and illuminate the rich narrative of my Hispanic/Latino community. From thin sheets of paper to digital media, I use art as a vehicle to communicate and act as a reminder about the trials and experiences of the Latino community who have often been denied expression because of poverty, social injustice, and misogyny.  I hope to educate and raise/enhance awareness about these cultural/personal/private experiences to offer the possibility of healing and hope to those who have had their experiences silenced/ignored/denied.

I have discovered, for example, that there is a difference between how these issues are understood through the English-speaking media and the rawness of the experience which is presented in the Spanish-speaking media.  My work draws attention to this contrasting representation and builds upon my own direct experience and the direct experiences of other Latinos/immigrants.  The central question in this contrasting presentation is who belongs where. I’m interested in exploring this question.  I draw upon my own experiences as a first-generation American with parents who immigrated from Mexico as well as from interviews and firsthand accounts from other Latino immigrants.   

I am interested in using my art to tell these stories. By collecting and stitching together recordings into an audio collage that offers a direct voice to these issues. The film is intentional with no imagery but large-scale drawings. The film is 6 minutes long addressing that directly highlights the experiences of Latino Immigrants. I also interviewed my fellow Latino students in my campus community about what immigration meant to them.

As a young girl, I expressed my feelings, memories, and images of the world with #2 pencils and copy paper. Whereas now I have been given the opportunity to have access to various types of materials that I didn’t get the chance to explore as a kid.

My piece will consist of four large-scale drawings framed in 18"x 24" black frames. A television provided by the Alice R Gallery shows a looped film. A large sculpture that will be installed on the gallery walls a direct representation of the U.S. and Mexico's border wall. Installation of my art will begin on March 20th and the exhibition will run from April 1st to May 7th.