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ARTS
OMAR SOTO’S NEW RENAISSANCE
Interview by Anitah ImaniPhotos by Omar Soto
Anitah Imani: First, I want to see how this current season is for you. I haven't really gotten the chance to catch up with you since you debuted at the Phoenix Art Museum. You're obviously moving to New York soon, and I want to talk about what that entails and how you got to that point of being ready to move.
Omar Soto: What I would say for this season is, I just completed my residency with Cala Alliance, and that was about three months and a few weeks' worth of work. It was probably the fastest that I've ever had to create, because usually I'm more of a slow burn, where I really think about things and plan them out ahead of time. I do one shoot at a time, as opposed to planning like six or seven shoots all at once. That was definitely a challenge. But we got it all done, and now I'm in my printing phase. And even just printing for the museum was a long process, because there were so many little technical things, like framing.
But really, I was always trying to move to New York, and I guess I planned it, maybe, a year ago, I was like, okay, for real, for real. This time, I'll be moving after the museum [show], just because I want to be able to try other things.
I feel like I've grown a lot in Phoenix, and a lot of people have supported me here. I really want to be able to take on commercial work, working with musicians, because I love music, and I want to be able to work with fashion brands that I really like. I want to be able to take on those types of projects. But I love that out here I've been able to build the art space, the fine art space, I've really been able to build on that, and I want to be able to take that with me when I go out there. I've been planning for a few years to move out there, and I've just always been a little bit afraid to go, because I've only ever moved from Mexico to Arizona, and I've been here most of my life. It's a very scary feeling, and especially doing it on my own, but I feel ready, I feel excited, I'm just giving it up to the universe, hoping everything turns out right.
AI: What a great foundation that you've built for yourself. Like just this year, it's been the Cala Alliance that you've been doing, and then the Emerging Artists Award at the Phoenix Art Museum. That's such a great way to make a name for yourself, a great way to safely jump into New York. With Cala Alliance, you said that it's been like three, four weeks that you've been working with them to produce a body of work?
OS: They give you three months, but I extended it by a few more weeks, just because I needed a little more time. I was really testing the limits of what I could do through set production. And maybe even if I didn't get to do as much crazy set stuff as I wanted to, I still wanted to push myself to try new things and try creating sets in a [new] way. And I was able to do that, and that was really fun. They're really supportive. It was a big learning process working with animals, trying different angles, doing more rear projection, and actually building and getting set pieces.They're a great team over there because I was able to delegate a little bit and get their advice on certain things.
Mostly, it was just scary, because I'm trying something new. It's still like me recreating paintings, like paying homage to those, but really, I'm touching on darker themes, less on the optimistic tip, the way that I did with my series in the museum. I want to be able to talk about things that I feel make me feel paralyzed at times, or even just things that are on my mind and things that I see in the world. I loved getting that under my belt as well. I wanted to just try as many things as I could in Phoenix before I moved, and they gave me a really good foundation and a really great support system.
AI: It's inspiring to see what spaces in Phoenix are actively investing in the artists here. I'm sure it's night and day for you, having the resources available to create these grand sets, ideas, and costumes, and the artists you want to hire for your work. Has it made a difference in your practice having that support as opposed to before you were a part of this group?
OS: Oh yeah, for sure. Before, I really just had to take on a lot myself. And even though I did have a smaller team who would help me when they could, I really had to just pick up the pieces and figure certain things out. Cala is really great, and they know people, and they're a huge part of the art scene here. They had a lot of access to different people and resources, and it was really cool to have people supporting me and helping me find things. When we needed a farm to shoot the animals, we were able to find one because someone already had a connection to a farm. They just knew certain things about set production. On top of that, they're just really great people. I've made some great friends out of it, so that's really nice too. I just love creating, and I love that they were there to help me through that process, because it was scary.
AI: Trying new things is scary, and it's great to have a support system to get you through it. You just posted about a new piece that you’ve produced, “The Raft of Medusa.” What went into creating this image, and what inspired you to recreate this specific image?
OS: With this new series, I really just wanted to touch on the commodification of life and the way that capitalism really just sucks the soul out of you and kind of sees you as a number. And those things have always just made me feel really paralyzed. I wanted to touch on a lot of things, like human rights.
One thing that always scares me about living in the US is that we have this really super complicated system for healthcare, and if you're lucky enough to grow old one day, you're gonna be disabled in one way or another. This system, it really isn't built to help anybody. It's meant to be confusing, and that always really scares me. I wanted to touch on those frustrations about navigating these systems and the raft specifically, because I like to study whatever it is that I'm going to recreate.
And in the original painting, if I'm remembering correctly, it was a political piece, even at the time, based on the current issues. And it was based on a boat, the Medusa, that had crashed, and they ended up having some sort of issue where the boat ended up falling apart, and people were scrambling to get off, and only the richest could get off. At the time, the king was putting his friends in charge of positions they shouldn't have held, much like Trump is putting his friends in positions they shouldn't hold. This painting is really a reflection on those failures of the government, and I really felt that it touched on modern times.
The one thing that fascinates me about art and history is that it seems to always, in a way, repeat itself. And I saw these parallels to life, because of global warming, we have flooding in a lot of places, and even in these red states where people have voted for Trump, they're getting flooded, and they're realizing, when the shit hits the fan, they're not going to be helped either. Choosing somebody because of your race is not going to save you either. And I really wanted to showcase different types of people. I wanted all kinds of body types. I wanted both Latino and Black. And I wanted to showcase a huge array of aesthetics, because I wanted to show that it can happen to you, too, even if you're fully healthy. I wanted to include cell phones in the image because even when we're asking for help, it's almost like this noise where we're pulling out our cell phones and not helping each other, and we're just documenting these moments, and it feels like we're in this really dystopian point in history. I wanted to touch on that and how I felt, and this chaos that comes from all these things combined.
“I love art, of course. I wanted to push myself as an artist to try different techniques, and to try a bigger cast of people. I really wanted to just push the limits of what I could create in a set. It was also a challenge for me to shoot that many people, to have that many elements going on, to have rear projection, to have my fog machines, and multiple lights. So anytime I create something, I'm always thinking of ways that I could push myself and what I can technically do. That's why I wanted to create that specific piece. It really speaks to me a lot, and I was hoping it would really speak to others and just showcase the experiences of people that I know.”
AI: I really resonated with what you said about history repeating itself and the way that you were able to transform this moment in art history into a contemporary context. And I was personally touched by the way that you've always done a phenomenal job of selecting intentional characters in your images, and obviously, that being queer, black, and brown people. I thought it was an amazing array of people in the image. And everybody was emotional in it as well. Congrats to you for continuing to push yourself and what's possible in the studio.
OS: Thank you. I'm glad it resonated. I wanted it to be a little absurd too; there’s a comedy to it, almost.
AI: There was the slightest bit of that undertone; it was perfect. Similarly, I want to talk about the “Mediums of Hope” exhibition at the Phoenix Art Museum. I know we're a little bit past the opening date for it, but now that you're about to close that chapter, I’d like you to reflect on what it's been like exhibiting work specifically in that space. To me, it was beautiful to see how many black, brown, queer people from our community you brought into that space through your work.
OS: I think that it was definitely a learning experience, because obviously, I've only done a few exhibitions, and then to be catapulted to the museum was a big honor, and I'm thankful that they even chose me. It was a lot of learning, especially when it came to printmaking, because there are so many different types of paper, and even the way that I edited my images. They weren't necessarily edited for printing, but because I was working with people who have printed, they really informed how I should be editing and how I should be a little more intentional about it. Seeing how paper takes ink and color, and how that's produced as opposed to your computer, even the framing was such a huge learning curve for me. I did not realize how fucking expensive it is. Painting the frames myself. The setup of the space is so important, and you have to be intentional with it and those are all just learning processes that I was going through.
It meant a lot to me to be able to include people from my community, specifically black and brown people. When I think about Arizona and when I think about Latin pride, I always end up seeing really white models. It almost seems, even unintentionally, as if it's rooted in white supremacy. I always have to question what "Latin pride" means. If you know we're only including straight people, if we're only including one type of body, if we're not including Afro Latinos.
For example, I remember growing up watching TV like Univision and Telemundo, and you wouldn't even think black people existed if you only watched that. And because I've grown up around so many other black and Afro Latinos, it really meant a lot to me to be able to represent them. It's important to center dark-skinned models as well, because there isn't much representation in Arizona, especially in these art spaces. I'm not sure how many black people even get the chance to walk through those doors, and not in a savior complex way, but more so because I can empathize, even if I don't have this black experience. I could empathize with my family, with my friends who are black. I want to end with queer people, trans people, and people of all body types; I wanted to be able to represent and reclaim what beauty means. Everybody has their own definition, and I wanted to really create my own world, create our own world. I wanted to stand on that, and I think the best moment for me was the fact that people were bringing out their family members, and that they were shocked and super happy that they were there on the walls; it really brought them together.
That felt more like community, more than anything. Having them there and seeing their family members meant a lot to me, for sure, because it's a bigger moment than just my own, showcasing other people. It was really a collaborative effort. I want to always carry that with all my work.
I would say that my biggest takeaway is that there's power in community and redefining things on our own terms., I just feel like it's a great way to continue my work and it really pushed me as an artist. I just want to keep going harder.
AI: I'm so proud of you. You are such a light to this community, and what you've done in providing visibility to black and brown queer girls and boys here is immeasurable, honestly. This body of work spans about two years or so, do you have a favorite that you've worked on? I know it's kind of hard, because each one is like its own little baby, but in terms of what has been shown, is there a favorite one that you have?
OS: It might be the “Queen of Angels”, because I had my nephew as the baby Jesus, and my niece was also in the image. It was just such a beautiful day because all our models were there, and the restaurant that had let us shoot there was so inviting and so kind, and they were so nice, and they understood that art takes some time. I had to set up all my lights, and by that point it was my biggest challenge because I've never shot with 14 models at once. It meant a lot of figuring things out and putting people in certain positions. Sometimes when you're taking a photo, people must be much closer than what it looks like on the camera or what it should feel like, just because of positioning and composition, and I was really challenging myself.
This experience has made it easier for me to shoot bigger projects like the raft, and it was just a beautiful moment. People on set were crying; they really resonated with it, and it was just a great moment for me to go grand, to go big, to push myself as an artist, to do bigger things, and I just always hold on to that memory, because it was just such a fun night. With my work, because things take so long, my models will be hurting, they'll be uncomfortable, but they get it, and they see the vision, and I'm super thankful every single time, and I feel like that was the most fun. All the shoots were fun for that series, because everything just turned out beautiful and perfect. But that one was just fun because it was a big set, almost like I had this big space for myself. It was a combination of all these techniques that I had learned at that point, and I just loved it. That was my favorite memory of all.
Everybody's dressed in all white, all the feminine energy in the room. I can only imagine how that made everybody feel internally. That's beautiful.
What do you feel this year has specifically taught you about the kind of artist that you want to show up as going forward? You've already done so much in terms of providing visibility to people of color and queer artistry, and you said that you're starting to inject more personal feelings into your work now in addition to such a crazy year of growth, where has that left you wanting to go forward?
OS: It's made me feel more confident in myself, because no matter the scope of work, I'm always kind of scared and feeling what if I mess up? Am I capable of doing this? For a long time, I felt as if the fine art space was only for a certain type of artist, someone that went to college. I'm really learning as I go, even when it comes to business, learning that on the fly. I've been feeling maybe I can do this, and it's given me the confidence to move. And you never know what people's reaction is going to be to your work, but I feel more confident in myself as an artist because I've had this experience and things resonate with people. I think that you can really manifest your reality, as long as you're putting in that effort as well.
AI: What advice would you give to other photographers of color, queer photographers in Phoenix that are looking to get started? Maybe they have a vision of a grander project that they want to do, or they’re looking for an entry point into things like these gallery spaces, what advice would you give them to get started?
OS: If you're starting out, definitely look up ArtLink, it’s an organization in Phoenix that posts opportunities. I found my first opportunity to be in an exhibition from there. Definitely reach out to your friends who are already even just a little bit good at something like makeup or sewing, even if they're not the best. If you see a drive in them and they're able to create something, give them the opportunity to do it. You don't have to just reach out to people in the community who are already doing it big. You could create your own team and your own world through your friends. Create it through the people that you already know and collaborate with.
Do it humbly and start small. People will see your drive and effort the more that you do it, and the more experience that you get, and the more shoots that you end up doing, your consistency will always be seen.
If people don't get it at first, just keep going. It doesn't matter if you get 10 likes or 1000 likes on one photo. You got to be okay with yourself at the end of the day and know that it's all gonna add up to a bigger picture. Always reach out to your family and friends who can create something for your set. Don't be afraid of getting told no, I got a lot of no's the first time that I tried, I really wasn't well known. When I was looking up sets or trying to shoot at certain locations, people would always have a certain reaction. And I always told myself: if they don't want me, somebody else will. Lead with confidence, even when you're scared. Just always put your best foot forward, especially when you're trying to convince somebody of something.