Cactus Land

Sobre Territorios del nopal About Territories of Nopal (Cactus Lands) Territories of Nopal is a photographic essay in which I explore, from the plastic arts, the geographies of the cactus with a slow, profound gaze; I capture this wild and indomitable plant in its forms, textures and tonal riches from a perspective of aesthetic appreciation, as a sculptural object. I look at the nopaleras (cactus lands) as an open body, as a canvas that lends itself to the game, where I add color or exalt its qualities. In my work, the nopalera reveals itself as another presence, which although it is the same, no longer is it the same. From the United States to Patagonia, this plant takes over the American continent and finds its center in the Mexican plateau, where the largest numbers of species are. From the Americas, it expands into the world. Territories of Nopal is structured by two approaches to the Cactaceae: 1. Landscapes: Desert or semi-desert scenarios, which show the biodiversity of the species in the nopaleras and their gregarious character. Carlos Pellicer said, "When the nopal blooms, there is a slight increase of light." I was able to witness that moment to capture this plant’s energy. The energy of the arid zones that runs through their veins is a mixture of the solar and lunar cycles that define their forms. 2. Approaches: Transcripts of the narrative woven by their nature, telling in detail their way of being and existing, recovering those vegetable/mineral figures and deciphering the fibrous objects, strange protagonists that tell the rhythmic and harmonious history of their existence. About my work I address these topics through intuitive searches, although some have arrived without looking for them. I experiment with the poetics of the thorny and the deteriorated. I experiment with the tonal range and with the decontextualization of objects. By summing symbols from the initial symbols, I superimpose the images, give them other readings, and abstract them from their context. This is a recurring plastic exercise, where I materialize the latent worlds in each of the chosen subjects. My influences One of the major influences in my work has been Man Ray, the surrealist photographer who experimented with double image readings, solarizations and Rayographs, and created images in the dark room. An important influence in the eighties was Enrique Bostemann; His poetic gaze that captured everyday objects, the conceptual development of his work and the use of pigmented details in his black and white photographs have been valuable lessons. He reviewed several of my photographic essays and provided me with the tools to sharpen my perception. Two workshops were also significant for me: one with Eikoh Hosoe and another with Duane Michals. Their manner of creating scenography, their deep inventiveness in taking photographs, their philosophies; the surreal and fantastic portraits and nudes have had an important impact on my work. Contacto: irmavillalobos0@gmail.com Página web: www.irmavillalobos.com cargocolective.com/Irma Villalobos Facebook: Irma Villalobos-fotógrafa List of works: locations 1. Real de Catorce, San Luis Potosí 2. San Juan Xochiaca, Estado de México 3. Rancho el Palmar 1 altiplano potosino 4. Rancho el Palmar 2 altiplano potosino 5. Matehuala, San Luis Potosi 6. Cerro de San Pedro, San Luis Potosi 7. Malinalco, estado de México 8. Cuatro Ciénegas, Coahuila 9. Rancho el Palmar 3, altiplano potosino 10. Rancho el Palmar 4, altiplano potosino