Pia Camil: Mexican Perfomance and Multimedia Artist

Many artists create and make art mostly to capture attention while at the same time convey an idea to the target audience. This is no strange approach to the famous Pia Camil and her works. Pia Camil was born in Mexico City in the year 1980 (Mancoff). She studied in several art schools like the Rhode Island school of design where she earned her B.F.A and later in 2008 finished with an M.F.A from the Slade School of fine art in London. Camils at work showcases beautiful masterpieces of nature and life in general. Camils pieces of at enjoy international galleries exhibition like the Frieze Projects in New York, Biennial of the Americans in Denver Colorado and Middleborough Institute of Modern Art among others (Mancoff). She has recently made several solo exhibitions like the little dog laughed at Blum & Poe in Los Angeles 2014 and the Skins exhibition held at the Contemporary Arts Center in Cincinnati March 2016 (Mancoff).

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Looking at her works one gets eager to learn the themes by the colors and figures displayed. Most of Camils style of work is a critique about the decay of the Mexican urban setting, ancient history architectural forms and the contemporary culture (Mancoff). Camil employs extensive use of craft figures to symbolically signify cultural issues, ancient history and feminist issues. The figures are part and parcel of her arts showcases that allow her to play with space to her advantage and the viewers psychology. She uses incomplete urban projects abandoned buildings and billboards to symbolically show how the commercial system has failed in Mexico City and to outline the problems that are associated with capitalism. The urban objects are handmade by Camil to show that the modern culture is failing Mexico City as she explores in her terms the aesthetization of failure. Apart from just watching Camils work from a distance, she has made it possible for lovers of art to walk in through her arts. She creates a theater like a scene where people are allowed to walk through her arts providing them with different juxtapositions and stances within the art (New Museum). Through the use of these figures and props, Camil is able to exhibit an array of different objects in the same space to create repeated conversations.

Camils work showcases the minimalism movement that thrives on the real meaning of objects. Minimalism is still one of the most influential art movements since the 20th Century (Becker). It employs the what you see is what you get theme and delivers without adding unnecessary material. Minimalism art conveys environmental issues without addressing or touching n the artists point of view (Becker). Minimalists employ the use of fictitious industrial resources, geometry, space, open plans arrangements, and shapes to engage the viewer in a more primary ground. Minimalists are known for actual reference of an object itself thus showcasing art that lied between the boundaries of sculpture, painting, and architecture. Minimalists experiment with cubes and geometric forms that are placed on floors in galleries, unlike the traditional canvas artworks that are hanged on walls. The main aim of minimalists is to foster a healthy relationship between the viewer and the artwork as is always the key with Pia Camils work (Becker). Frank Stella is one of the famous minimalist artists one who Pia Camil draws a lot of inspiration when she makes her artwork. He was one of the artists that contributed widely to the spread and development of minimalism. Pia Camil is a contemporary artist who employs the minimalism art in her work. She disregards emotional attributes in her work but manages to create an emotional attachment between the viewer and the piece of art she creates.

One of the latest pieces produced by Camil is A Pot for a Latch. It is a solo exhibition exhibited at the new museum in New York City. The participatory sculptural installation draws its inspiration from the market booths that vendors use Mexico City (New Museum). The native economy, designs and modern artistry are also incorporated in the piece. The piece consists of five grid panels that are open and each has hardware, shelves and hooks attached used for displaying wares in markets. Camil likes to incorporate some geometry borrowed from Frank Stella and the Pot for a Latch sculpture is no exception. It contains lines, geometry, and grids forming a volumetric shape that exhibits the inexpensive market constructions (New Museum). A Pot for a Latch houses paintings and sculptures from Agnes Martin and Sol LeWitt who are minimalist artists. This pieces theme is to outline the flow of discourse between art and vernacular aesthetics. It also addresses on the economy that seems to be outwitting the commerce of trade. The title itself gives suggestions to the Northwest coast ceremonies by the Native Americans that revolved around gifting giving. This tradition in the Pacific Northwest shores is a system that allows for assets redistribution in the communities (New Museum). During this showcase the visitors get to exchange nonrefundable personal items for those in the installation. The items allowed for exchange should be in reference to the ancient roman term res which meant a gift with history and personal value. In the exchange, the items brought lose their monetary value but the meaning attached to the items and the life they acquire in the grid is the basis of their value (New Museum). These items may include personal belonging like blankets, photographs, lingerie, wigs, mirrors and curtains. The Pot for a Latch piece is subjected to continuous change and alteration in the exhibition period symbolizing the natural flux that is present in the Mexican urban settings.

Previously Camil was known for working with photographs in her at work but she later adopted the textile based and sculptural pieces clearly adopting the style and form of the 20th century (Mancoff). Camils works are quite different and are only a few in the art industry. Few artists in the contemporary age use colors and geometric forms to showcase their talent in art. Most of Camils work as compared to other artists revolves around viewer participation, performance and commerce aesthetics. Camils works largely borrow from Frank Stella but she uses his ideas to create new meanings and appeal. Her pieces mostly contain objects that covey the cultural and social repercussions in a society (Mancoff). Camils works also infuse the notion of the persona from Carl Jungs concept. For example, the bust masks distinctively explore this concept since they touch on the figurative masks people adorn in societies. She uses jewelry display busts and ancient ritual masks to achieve the effect of the persona. Her works also incorporate political conventions as depicted in the bust masks.

The politics of consumerism emerge from this particular piece and commercial beauty. She also addresses social issues like the female identity since the bust masks assume the shape of the female body. Camils a pot for a latch piece addresses mostly the economic and social conventions of Mexico City (New Museum). The gift economy attaches social rewards like loyalty, honor, and good health on people. Gift economies thrive in cultural backgrounds that unify people identity with that of the natural world. A social convention sometimes consists of traditional societies and cultures like that of gift economies. People in these cultures learn that as they gain new materials through the exchange process they also benefit the society in a mutually satisfying relationship. Camils artwork strongly unifies life and art that seeks to imitate social change.

Pia Camil is one of the most successful and artist whose works enjoy wide exhibition both locally and internationally. Her creativity allows her to connect with the viewers through her artwork without drawing any attention to her point of view. She has successfully incorporate ancient ideas of minimalism into her work to produce art that links the ancient history and modernism. Most of the art she exhibits touch on the social issues affecting the society. A pot for a latch is one of the works that shows a clear and gradual change the society undergoes.

Works Cited

BIBLIOGRAPHY Becker, Joshua. "What is Minimalism." 3 April 2016. Becoming Minimalist. 21 January 2017 <www.becomingminimalist.com/what-is-minimalism/>.

Mancoff, Debra N. "Pia Camil Mexican Perfomance and Multimedia Artist." 12 August 2016. Britannica. 21 January 2017 <https://global.britannica.com/bibliography/Pia-Camil>.

New Museum. "Pia Camil: A Pot for a Latch." 4 January 2016. New Museum. 21 January 2017 <m.newmuseum.org/exhibitions/view/pia-camil>.