Motions & Center: Laura Aguilar

Esperanza Peace & Justice Center

2003-09-12
San Antonio Express-News

Aguilar's photography is her way of coming to terms with her weight problem

By Dan R. Goddard
San Antonio Express-News

Web Posted : 10/12/2003 12:00 AM

Photographer Laura Aguilar doesn't want to hear any euphemisms: large, voluptuous, big-boned, obese. 'Voluptuous is a kind way to put it, but really, I'm fat,' Aguilar said. 'And I'm not saying I like being this way. I've always felt a lot of anger about my size. My work is a way of coming to terms with my body, with learning to be comfortable with who you are. 'I have lost some weight, but I would like to lose more. Unfortunately, it's something that all women struggle with. We can't all be a size zero. I'm trying to be really honest about accepting my body.' Aguilar is known for her images of overweight, nude women, which are often cited as an alternative to the popular images of rail-thin models and Hollywood starlets that bombard us from TV, movies and magazines. 'Motions & Center: New Bodies of Work From Laura Aguilar' is on view through Nov. 21 at the Esperanza Peace & Justice Center as part of Fotoseptiembre USA. However, Aguilar, who is often her own favorite model, doesn't pose like a centerfold. The other models she uses tend to come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Instead of being presented as nontraditional images of female beauty, Aguilar's nudes appear to be part of the landscape, merging with rocks and trees. Mainly, she is showing the human body as part of nature. Many of the photographs in the 'Motions & Center' series feature local models posing in the rugged landscape near Blanco. In one image, Aguilar appears to be diving into the black crevices of a jumble of volcanic rock. Her women often appear to be swimming through the landscape. They bend and sway, mimicking the twists and bends of a grapevine. 'A lot of this comes out of movement classes that I took,' Aguilar said. 'We learned to stretch and breathe. It was really good for me because my body is now a lot more flexible.' Sometimes, Aguilar curls up until she resembles a boulder. 'I can remember collecting rocks as a kid when we went camping. I've always liked rocks,' Aguilar said. 'I'm not much of a fan of camping anymore, but I still like getting out in nature. I can always see the form of a body in rocks and trees.' Unlike earlier series that dealt directly with being a Chicana lesbian, Aguilar said her latest work doesn't try to raise any political or social issues. 'I don't see these images as being about what it is like to be a lesbian,' Aguilar said. 'This is more about the body and nature. I love the country around here. I don't know why my work has been so controversial in San Antonio in the past.' The bodies in Aguilar's work are probably more 'normal' than what is usually depicted in fashion magazines. By placing them in outdoor surroundings with bulky boulders and sagging tree branches, she also shows them to be completely natural. 'Motions & Center: New Bodies of Work From Laura Aguilar' runs through Nov. 21 at the Esperanza Peace & Justice Center, 922 San Pedro Ave., (210) 228-0201. dgoddard@express-news.net

10/12/2003

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