Ari Herrera, ‘24
Our Nose
Our Nose
Our Nose, 2021My piece, “Our Nose,” is my submission to the body fragmentation tradition. Sculptors have used the fragmentation of the body to express ideas that could not be expressed through conventional figurative pieces. Marginalized groups would use this to express ideas of race, gender, and sexuality. I have chosen to twist the narrative on what is considered “classic beauty” often seen in Greco-Roman sculptures. A major aspect of “classic beauty” is a straight, narrow nose which only fits one demographic, ostracizing all others, making them feel ugly and unrepresented. In my piece, I wanted to address this notion by showing that those who have similar noses to me are beautiful and worthy of being immortalized in this tradition.
Elegua
My piece, “Elegua,” is a kiln fired clay head study that forced me to consider my own identity in a space where I am underrepresented. In the process of creating this head study without life reference we had to learn the “standard” formulas that have assisted sculptors to create their masterful works. These “standards” however, opened my eyes to how the “perfect face” does not look like me. I scrutinized my face and compared my features to the formulas and found discrepancies. I was comparing myself to formulas that were not created for me or people like me. This imagined figure I created is not my attempt to create the “perfect face” but to challenge preconceived standardizations and who they may leave out.