Laura Aguilar's Posthumous Retrospective Explores Identity Through Photography at National Museum of Mexican Art
The National Museum of Mexican Art in Chicago showcased a career retrospective titled 'Show and Tell' for Laura Aguilar from March 22 to August 18, 2019. Curated by Sibyl Venegas, this exhibition came after Aguilar's passing in April 2018 at the age of 59. It explores her self-portraits and portraiture, highlighting her experiences as an obese, clinically depressed, Latina lesbian. Her early works from the 1980s Chicano art movement transition into conceptual art pieces such as 'How Mexican Is Mexican' (1990) and the 'Will Work For' series (1993). Key pieces include 'Three Eagles Flying' (1990) and 'Latina Lesbians' (1986-89), alongside large-scale self-portraits and the 'Grounded' series (2006-07), linking her to feminist earth art.
Key facts
- Laura Aguilar died of kidney failure in April 2018 at age 59.
- The retrospective 'Show and Tell' ran at the National Museum of Mexican Art in Chicago from March 22 to August 18, 2019.
- Curator Sibyl Venegas organized the exhibition.
- Aguilar's work focuses on portraiture and self-portraiture exploring her identity as a Latina lesbian.
- Early photographs document the East LA Chicano art scene of the 1980s.
- Key series include 'Latina Lesbians' (1986-89), 'How Mexican Is Mexican' (1990), and 'Will Work For' (1993).
- The exhibition features video works like 'The Knife' (1995) and 'The Body 2' (1995).
- Later works include the 'Grounded' series (2006-07) of nudes in landscapes.
Entities
Artists
- Laura Aguilar
- Sibyl Venegas
- Adrian Piper
- Barbara Kruger
- Lorna Simpson
- Sharon Hayes
- Gil Cuadros
- Edward Weston
- Nancy Holt
- Beverly Buchanan
- Ana Mendieta
- Regina José Galindo
- Ernesto Pujol
- Amelia Jones
- Rebecca Epstein
- Ondine Chavoya
Institutions
- National Museum of Mexican Art
- Vincent Price Museum
- East Los Angeles Community College
- Self-Help Community Gallery
- UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center
- UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center Press
- Laura Aguilar Trust of 2016
Locations
- Chicago
- United States
- Los Angeles
- East LA
- Mexico