For questions or to purchase, please email info@mataartgallery.org
*CONTENT WARNING*
This imagery contains triggering memories from 2020, regarding racial violence, police violence, and COVID isolation.
Artist Pairings in Order of Appearance (poets x photographers):
This imagery contains triggering memories from 2020, regarding racial violence, police violence, and COVID isolation.
Artist Pairings in Order of Appearance (poets x photographers):
- bridgette bianca x Kwasi Boyd-Bouldin
- Mauricio 'Soul on Fire' Moreno x Sebastian Ospina
- Karla Cordero x Christopher Velasco
- Monica Serrano x Brian Braganza
- Brian Dunlap x Animus J.
- Mia x Nica Aquino
- karo ska x Valerie J. Bower
- Ellie Lopez x Michelle Anna Boire
- Jessica Ceballos x Semantha Norris
- Irene Suico Soriano x Courtney Coles
PLEASE VIEW ONLINE GALLERY FROM A COMPUTER FOR THE FULL EXPERIENCE.
Click images to enlarge.
Click images to enlarge.
the recipe
they say how you sad with the sand the ocean the palm trees
i say south central is the land of concrete and strips of green
my backyard the furthest i been in months ain’t no ocean breeze
the wind carries horns from earth wind and fire and ash
palm trees just ragged scrub brushes stretching for the sky
for spots we couldn’t reach even with the endeavor up the street
bridgette bianca
(South Central LA, CA)
2021
they say how you sad with the sand the ocean the palm trees
i say south central is the land of concrete and strips of green
my backyard the furthest i been in months ain’t no ocean breeze
the wind carries horns from earth wind and fire and ash
palm trees just ragged scrub brushes stretching for the sky
for spots we couldn’t reach even with the endeavor up the street
bridgette bianca
(South Central LA, CA)
2021
Distant Palm. 2020
Kwasi Boyd-Bouldin (LA, CA) March 2020 Photographed using a Contax T2 camera on 35mm Kodak Portra 160 film. 8”x10” prints available for $75 each. |
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Essential Worker
Scrubs model, feet sore steals back time for a quick nap heroes take breaks here. Mauricio 'Soul on Fire' Moreno (Long Beach, CA) 2021 |
Solitude
Sebastian Ospina (Medellin, Colombia) 2020 Photographed using Olympus Trip MD camera on 35mm Fujicolor C200 film. Please contact gallery regarding prints. |
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Ode to the Wild Shrub
so let us praise the wild shrub oh greenest of miracles bundle of growth despite the absent spill of rain praise your reaching limps praise how you drink the sun with your open mouth always ready for light to sing its life giving song Karla Cordero (San Diego, CA) 2021 |
"The Last Bottle"
from the Polaroids of South Pasadena series Christopher Velasco (South Pasadena, CA) 2020 Photographed using a Polaroid Impulse AF camera on B&W Polaroid Originals 600 (instant film). $100 for original Polaroid. |
Through the Navy Yard
Brian Braganza (NYC, New York) Early Summer, Brooklyn 2020 Photographed using a Holga camera on 120mm Kodak Portra 400 film. |
Language of the night
What does the dark say? I stare into the night It used to be a second language to me A foreigner now I think it’s time for bed. Monica Serrano (Compton, CA) 2021 |
Advertisements
A glut of pop culture advertisements flood the senses.
Mass marketed stereotypes of violence, gender, strength, of cool,
shape the next generation
in ways they don't realize.
Brian Dunlap
(LA, CA)
2021
A glut of pop culture advertisements flood the senses.
Mass marketed stereotypes of violence, gender, strength, of cool,
shape the next generation
in ways they don't realize.
Brian Dunlap
(LA, CA)
2021
Netflix
Animus J. (Taipei, Taiwan) 2020 Photographed using a Nikon Fm3A camera on 6 year expired 35mm Fujifilm pro 400H. Digital prints and photo book available for purchase. Please contact gallery to inquire. |
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We Are Flowers
I am the red faced Flower. Birthed of violence; nursed by Mothers' blood. Thrusting in search of sky, I will continue to seed. My Children rebellious and joyful. I’ve lost count how many... More are coming. Mia (National [Nasty] City, CA) 2021 |
NOT MY SAVIOR (Junípero Serra)
Nica Aquino
(Northeast LA, CA)
Carmel-by-the-Sea, CA.
May 2020
Photographed using an Olympus Stylus Epic point and shoot camera on 35mm Kodacolor Gold 400 film.
Prints available by request.
Please contact gallery to inquire.
Nica Aquino
(Northeast LA, CA)
Carmel-by-the-Sea, CA.
May 2020
Photographed using an Olympus Stylus Epic point and shoot camera on 35mm Kodacolor Gold 400 film.
Prints available by request.
Please contact gallery to inquire.
untitled
We walk the paths of dark to find light.
Where the gods gave us color, when the sun sets.
Vibrant colors to remind us that the sun is always within arms reach.
As the skies go dark, our paths are lined in the colors of the sun.
Bright Yellows and Oranges-- arrays of golden hour hues.
Never forgetting light is within reach, even in the smallest of places.
Ellie Lopez
(Tracy, CA)
2021
We walk the paths of dark to find light.
Where the gods gave us color, when the sun sets.
Vibrant colors to remind us that the sun is always within arms reach.
As the skies go dark, our paths are lined in the colors of the sun.
Bright Yellows and Oranges-- arrays of golden hour hues.
Never forgetting light is within reach, even in the smallest of places.
Ellie Lopez
(Tracy, CA)
2021
mo(u)rning walk
Michelle Anna Boire (Sonora, CA) 2020 Photographed on expired 35mm color film. |
Out Front
Valerie J. Bower (Long Beach, CA) 2020 Photographed using a Minolta X-700. |
what if we abolished the police?
they come to the hood serving inverse of justice the hood says no more karo ska (LA, CA) 2021 |
in search of civil disobedience
and we keep keeping onuses
(not money) hidden hiding under mattresses
and things. when really, all we should be doing is
everything we should be doing
to keep them from killing murdering (hide) you
over and over and over and (not) again
Jessica Ceballos
(LA, CA)
2021
and we keep keeping onuses
(not money) hidden hiding under mattresses
and things. when really, all we should be doing is
everything we should be doing
to keep them from killing murdering (hide) you
over and over and over and (not) again
Jessica Ceballos
(LA, CA)
2021
ACAB
Semantha Norris (LA, CA) May 30, 2020 Photographed using a Olympus Mju I camera on 35mm B&W Ilford HP5 film. Prints available by request. Please contact gallery to inquire. |
Brushes, Bottles & Glass
for Johnny Luong
Weren’t all of us born under an angry star oh Johnny?
Transforming in front of mirrors…you still found your way.
Life for femme boys from faraway countries is hard
but all that was dim could never touch you. Oh Johnny
building galaxies on your face, bursting suns for eyes
peeling off colors through clothes at the disco every Friday night.
Irene Suico Soriano
(San Fernando Valley, CA)
2021
for Johnny Luong
Weren’t all of us born under an angry star oh Johnny?
Transforming in front of mirrors…you still found your way.
Life for femme boys from faraway countries is hard
but all that was dim could never touch you. Oh Johnny
building galaxies on your face, bursting suns for eyes
peeling off colors through clothes at the disco every Friday night.
Irene Suico Soriano
(San Fernando Valley, CA)
2021
friday; 11.06.2020
Courtney Coles (LA, CA) 2020 Photographed using a Polaroid Onestep+ camera. Prints available by request. Please email gallery to inquire. |
ABOUT:
Ten photographers were selected to present one photograph each of a memory from 2020 they preserved on analogue film; ranging from 35mm, medium format & Polaroids. Having the photographs documented on film, a palpable element of memory preservation, added another layer of revisiting this year. Who says you can't put your arms around a memory?
With the help of guest poetry curator, Nikolai Garcia, ten poets were assigned one photograph each to respond to with a new original short poem based on their own memories of 2020.
Together, we have our first visual art + literary collaboration for the one-year anniversary show of MATA ART GALLERY & a celebration of National Poetry Month.
(Background photo details by Michelle Anna Boire)
Ten photographers were selected to present one photograph each of a memory from 2020 they preserved on analogue film; ranging from 35mm, medium format & Polaroids. Having the photographs documented on film, a palpable element of memory preservation, added another layer of revisiting this year. Who says you can't put your arms around a memory?
With the help of guest poetry curator, Nikolai Garcia, ten poets were assigned one photograph each to respond to with a new original short poem based on their own memories of 2020.
Together, we have our first visual art + literary collaboration for the one-year anniversary show of MATA ART GALLERY & a celebration of National Poetry Month.
(Background photo details by Michelle Anna Boire)
Poetry by: bridgette bianca, Jessica Ceballos, Karla Cordero, Brian Dunlap, Ellie Lopez, Mauricio Moreno, Mia, Monica Serrano, Karo Ska, Irene Suico Soriano. Poetry curated by Nikolai Garcia.
Photography by: Nica Aquino, Michelle Anna Boire, Kwasi-Boyd Bouldin, Valerie J. Bower, Brian Braganza, Courtney Coles, Animus J., Semantha Norris, Sebastian Ospina, Christopher Velasco. Photography curated by Nica Aquino.
Photography by: Nica Aquino, Michelle Anna Boire, Kwasi-Boyd Bouldin, Valerie J. Bower, Brian Braganza, Courtney Coles, Animus J., Semantha Norris, Sebastian Ospina, Christopher Velasco. Photography curated by Nica Aquino.
Thank you for another year of Mata Art Gallery! Please consider donating to help us keep this project going. We're a completely not-for-profit creative space funded by the community. We never ask for submission fees or commissions, & artists receive 100% of their artwork sales. Your donations help pay the artists directly & help us continue to sustain this space.
Please send donations to:
🌸 Venmo: @nicaaquino
🌸 PayPal: @nicaaquino (send as friends & family)
🌸 Cash.app: $nicaaquino666
🌸 Zelle: info@mataartgallery.org
Please send donations to:
🌸 Venmo: @nicaaquino
🌸 PayPal: @nicaaquino (send as friends & family)
🌸 Cash.app: $nicaaquino666
🌸 Zelle: info@mataartgallery.org
