ALEX LA CRUZ
Name: Alex La Cruz
Age: 34
Birthplace: San Juan, Puerto Rico
Home: San Juan, Puerto Rico
Discipline: Photography
Pages from Breaking Quarantine, 2020"2021, collage work
What is your background?
I define myself as a romantic and would say that my interest in photography started with my Catholic upbringing. I was sent to a private all-boys Catholic school in San Juan and the religious iconography left a strong impression on me, which I sort of took on with me when I moved to NYC in the 00s. It influenced my nightlife photography and I saw the same dramatic lights as the ones in church.
What are the main topics you deal with in your work?
My work deals with solitude, intimacy and sex within American life.
How do you define your artistic search and practice in three words?
Ephemeral. Light. Control.
Which techniques do you use to create?
I use digital and film techniques, such as Polaroids. I like to capture things documentary-style.
How do you consider your work in relation to current societal issues?
In times of a pandemic, the work acts as a form of escapism.
What kind of approach towards ‘aesthetics’ does your work provide?
A sincere one.
What kind of beauty does your work focus on?
A sincere kind.
What does being an artist mean in your opinion today?
In order to be an artist today, you have to be devoted.
What is the message you want to deliver with your work?
I would like viewers to feel inspired to move confidently and embrace their own vulnerability.
Pages from Breaking Quarantine, 2020"2021, collage work