Wynwood – Grimanesa Amorós Interview
Grimanesa Amorós is an artist who enjoys well-deserved international acclaim. Her work demonstrates an interest in sociology, anthropology and scientific research, especially in the fields of biology and genetics.
Through her work she touches on universal themes of concern to contemporary individuals, such as: the relationship between man and nature, personal and social identity, gender issues. Using various artistic media including video, photography, sculpture and installation, her work becomes a powerful vehicle, promoting diversity and dialogue among cultures. Our magazine interviewed her on the occasion of her recent exhibition in Miami.
WAM – You are currently presenting the installation “You Cannot Feel It…I Wish You Could,” (2000-2003) at Hardcore Art Contemporary Space here in Miami. Could you tell us how this idea came about and what circumstances led you to create this piece?
GA – “You Cannot Feel It…I Wish You Could” is a piece that came out of my own experience and my husband’s curiosity about pregnancy and childbirth. It made me think about how only a woman can really know what it feels like to have a life growing inside you. The bond that forms because of the physical aspects of being pregnant and the ability to feed and nurture this new being you’ve created, is something that’s unavailable to men. However, scientific advancement seems to progress at lightning speed, so perhaps the idea of a male pregnancy is not as impossible a feat as it may seem. We don’t know what the future holds.
WAM – Could you explain the conceptual and technical creative process involved in producing this installation?
GA – The conceptual process began really with my own pregnancy. The creation of this work was complicated. The sculptures, with the exception of the heads, were all cast from my own body when I was pregnant, only a week before I gave birth. In spite of the risk of casting a ninth-month pregnant woman, I found a casting company willing to make the mold. I also had to find a man willing to have his entire head cast. I took two completed molds to create the handmade paper, consisting of natural fibers, which was a long and intense process. It took me almost 3 years to complete all eleven sculptures.
WAM – In many of your works you reflect on the role gender plays in human relationships. For example, in works such as “You Cannot Feel It…I Wish You Could” or “King me, Dominate me,” you touch on themes such as the hegemony that one gender exerts over the other in various life situations. Why is this topic of interest to you?
GA – The idea that my work often comments on gender role issues is interesting. I believe this is because I grew up in Lima, Peru, a very traditional environment where men and women had roles that were clearly defined. I remember a time in my childhood when someone told me I couldn’t be a diplomat and travel the world because I was a woman. I remember thinking, “Why Not? Why can’t I do that?” I truly did not understand that, I’m not one to believe that one gender (Male or Female) needs to have absolute power over the other, but I do beleive in balance and perhaps that’s why some of my work expresses this part of me.