Painted taboos

The HangART-7 exhibition “Una Excursión Mexicana” in Salzburg’s Hangar-7, running until August 28, is a show of works by seven young, very individual Mexican artists. Answering questionnaires, they each describe their approach to art – and share some inside information along the way. Part Four: Alma Sandoval.

Until only a few years ago, sex and eroticism were considered taboo subjects by the general public in Mexico. With a downright stubborn sense of curiosity and the driven passion of a discoverer, thirty-three year-old artist Alma Sandoval engages herself with Mexican pornographic comics. Taking the smallest details from the comics and applying appropriation, she creates abstract paintings, which challenge both the taboo and the eye with puzzling and exciting images. She talks about how her art is “typically Mexican” and what she feels when her work affects her viewers.

How much connects you to the six other artists in this exhibition? And how much separates you?

Each artist follows very individual production processes. It’s something that happens on a personal level – and this connects and separates us all.

What makes your art “typically Mexican?” Why couldn’t it have been created in any other country?

My work is ‘typically Mexican’ as far as ‘appropriation’ goes [borrowing elements to create a new art], but sex, comics and painting all come from different places.

Please give us three words that describe your work process.

‘Appropriation,’ the disassociation of pictures/images.

... and three that describe your artworks.

Lines. Surface. Sexuality (apparently).

What do you feel when people observe your work and you think it affects them – no matter how?

I feel proud, and am inspired to do more research about the various ways of interpreting the appearance of reality.

Could you share with us a very personal anecdote about one of the pieces exhibited in Hangar-7 – or give us some sort of insider information about it that only you have been privy to until now?

Each picture deserves its own commentary on its history. For example, picture No. 26: the colors pink, black, red and gray were chosen because I read in some book that they’re typical colors for a wedding. If you look closely you can see the connection between a man and woman during an act of sex!