Draft:Rafa Esparaza

Preview

Artist Rafael Esparza, located in Los Angeles, is well-known for his modern sculpture and installation pieces. Born in 1981, he has become famous for his immersive, thought-provoking works that frequently examine history, society, and identity issues and use odd materials often. It's noteworthy to see how Esparza used adobe as a material and a political symbol. He connects with his cultural past and tackles themes of labor, immigration, and the environment by basing his work on the labor-intensive process of adobe-making, a talent inherited from his father. Adobe is a substance that has great historical and cultural value in the Americas. Therefore, using it in his creative investigation adds levels of meaning. The concept of "brown architecture" as a response to the hegemony of whiteness in art institutions reflects Esparza's commitment to challenging and diversifying the narratives in these spaces. By inviting Brown and Queer cultural producers to participate in large-scale collective projects, he fosters a sense of community and support outside of traditional art spaces. This approach not only expands the reach of his art but also actively engages with the issues of representation and inclusivity within the art world.

Early Life

American performance artist Rafa Esparza was born in Pasadena, California, in 1981 or 1982. He presently resides and works in Los Angeles. He is the son of Mexican immigrants from Durango, Mexico, who were raised in Pasadena. Early in Rafa's childhood, his father, Ramón Esparza, who spent over thirty years working in the construction industry, was critical. Rafa learned how to manufacture adobe bricks from Ramón, who used to do it in Mexico. This talent would eventually become a defining and significant aspect of Rafa's creative practice. Esparza had a childhood interest in art, but he soon discovered that his creative expression differed from the conventional styles praised throughout history. He studied performance art at East Los Angeles College in his early twenties. The Latino art ensemble Asco first exposed him to architectural installations and performance art. While at UCLA, he reinforced his interest in performance art, leaving his imprint on the school with various artworks. He earned a bachelor's degree in fine arts from UCLA in 2011. After graduating, Esparza moved to Brooklyn, where he kept pushing the boundaries of the arts and tackling issues of identity and queerness, resulting in a powerful blend of modern expression and autobiographical narrative in his work. Rafa Esparza's early life was shaped by his relationship with his father, his Mexican cultural background, and his creative path of self-discovery, significantly impacting his artistic work.

Career

Rafa Esparza is a Los Angeles native who gained notoriety for his unique use of adobe in his artwork as a material and a symbolic element. Esparza learned how to make adobe bricks by hand from his father, who used the material to construct his first house in Durango, Mexico. The artist works on a craft he feels is dying out: making adobe bricks by hand using loamy soil combined with water, straw, and horse dung. The goal of creating an understandable, aesthetically pleasing, and securely anchored art form is at the core of Esparza's creative process. His use of Adobe turns it into a powerful medium through which he weaves together his ethnic identity, background, and personal history. For the artist, especially at art institutions, adobe is a means of challenging dominant narratives and forging a connection with the ground.

In addition to using earthy elements, Esparza uses his own body as part of his creative process. He frequently incorporates Native American ceremonies into his art pieces, weaving stories that touch on his experiences as a homosexual man, having studied the iconography of indigenous cultures throughout the Americas while attending U.C.L.A. Esparza frequently performs in settings with ominous cultural overtones, putting her acts outside of conventional gallery settings. In 2015, for example, he served by encasing himself in a concrete column next to the historically significant L.A. County Jail, an institution that has a long history of imprisoning LGBT individuals. Esparza slowly removed himself from the concrete using a chisel and hammer, methodically transforming the performance into a potent critique.

It has been said of Esparza's art that it comes from a generous position of involvement and connection, battling polarizing influences with a cheerful attitude. Throughout his career, he has been committed to investigating and demystifying ideologies, power structures, and binary forms of identification. He has also used traditional methods and materials with significant cultural and personal meaning.

Work

Encouraging the vanishing art of handcrafted adobe bricks, a technique he acquired from his Mexican father, Esparza's creative approach merges personal narrative, cultural background, and ethnic identity. He emphasizes the importance of labor in his work by taking on the physically taxing effort of constructing 5,000 adobe slabs for an upcoming exhibit in time for the Whitney Biennial. Drawing from his study of indigenous cultures at U.C.L.A., Esparza's art typically incorporates visceral performances that integrate Native rites, taking it much beyond the traditional gallery setting. His involvement in the 2016 Hammer Museum biannual "Made in L.A." demonstrated his dedication to integrating identity and narrative into his art and his reluctance to give up intensely personal works. In contrast to the dominant divisive forces in society, Esparza's installations, like the one that will soon open at the Whitney Museum, reflect a spirit of engagement and connection. They also serve as platforms for showcasing the works of his peers and highlighting his mastery of Adobe.

Exhibitions (for artists)

Artist Rafa Esparza, based in Los Angeles, is well-known for his immersive, thought-provoking pieces that explore power dynamics, ideologies, and binary forms of identification. During his 2014 residence at the Bowtie Parcel, one noteworthy piece, assisted by the local arts charity Clockshop, came to fruition. Here, Esparza and his family worked hard to create the adobe bricks that covered Michael Parker's "The Unfinished," a monument that looked like an obelisk from ancient Egypt. The resultant piece, "Building: A Simulacrum of Power (2014)," served as a performative platform for Esparza's investigation of masculinity, identity, and his connection with his father—who was instrumental in creating adobe.

Unconventional materials are frequently used in Esparza's artwork, and adobe, which symbolizes both blue-collar labor and a link to his Mexican ancestry, has come to define his technique. Wearing an Azteca loincloth and anklets over a handmade space suit, he contextualized locations as hazardous and unknown planets in performances like "The Mexika Eagle" at the Getty Museum in 2015. He moved about the museum on adobe bricks. Exhibitions like the 2017 Whitney Biennial and the 2016 Hammer Museum's "Made in LA" biennial highlight his ability to unite inclusive and provocative art with horrific colonial past.

Esparza's works deal with art history and current concerns while challenging the canon. His performances frequently occur in underserved metropolitan areas, drawing attention to neglected neighborhoods. Besides using his work to make neglected or abandoned spaces into disputed sites, Esparza animates the interstitial city, whether performing in the rear end of Chinatown, beside the LA River, or beneath the 4th St. Viaduct in Boyle Heights.

Even with the attention from institutions, Esparza keeps incorporating the city into his art by utilizing adobe formed from dirt and water from rivers in Los Angeles. In his works, such as "Tierra" during the "Made in LA" biennial, he layers memories of what has been paved over with emblems of development. Through his creative work, Esparza questions preconceived ideas about modernity, urbanism, and growth while also aiding in reclaiming post-industrial areas.

References

“Commonwealth and Council / Rafa Esparza.” Commonwealth and Council, https://commonwealthandcouncil.com/us/rafa-esparza/biography

“Rafa Esparza.” QUEER | ART, www.queer-art.org/rafa-esparza

United States Artists» Rafa Esparza. https://www.unitedstatesartists.org/fellow/rafa-esparza/. Accessed 12 Dec. 2023.

“You Are Being Redirected...”https://kadist.org/people/rafa-esparza/. Accessed 12 Dec. 2023.

“Rafa Esparza - #XMAP: In Plain Sight.” Rafa Esparza - #XMAP: In Plain Sight, https://xmap.us/artists/rafa-esparza/. Accessed 12 Dec. 2023.

O’Leary, Erin. “Interview with Rafa Esparza.” Carla, 25 Feb. 2023, https://contemporaryartreview.la/interview-with-rafa-esparza/.