Laura Aguilar: Nudes in Nature showcases photographic works by a groundbreaking yet underrecognized artist who challenged perceptions of beauty by examining the female body in dialogue with the natural world.
Born and raised in California’s San Gabriel Valley, Laura Aguilar created photographic representations of historically excluded and marginalized groups of women from various communities across Los Angeles. She eventually turned the camera on herself to consider the multitude of factors that defined her own identity as a Chicana and a lesbian who lived in poverty and with depression and learning disabilities.
Later in her career, Aguilar began to capture intimate portraits of nude, large-bodied women in natural settings. She created various series within this framework to highlight the inherent connections between nature and the female form.
Laura Aguilar: Nudes in Nature brings together nearly 60 photographic works from the most-recognized of those series, including Nature Self-Portrait (1996) Stillness (1999) Motion (1999) Center (2000–2001) and Grounded (2006–2007). Featured works either directly explore the relationship between physical features of the body and the landscape or adopt an abstract approach. Exhibited in conversation, they encourage reflection on the ways female bodies are perceived within the natural world in comparison to how they are viewed in social and cultural spaces.
All of the images in Nudes in Nature were made in the Southwestern region of the United States. With this particular backdrop, the exhibition provides a unique opportunity to consider Aguilar’s trailblazing work within the context of our desert region.
Image: Motion #59, 1999 © Laura Aguilar Trust of 2016
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