Today we’d like to introduce you to Alejandro Martinez.
Alejandro, we’d love to hear your story and how you got to where you are today both personally and as an artist.
I began expressing myself artistically through poetry beginning around 2010. I’d be lying if I said the beatnik generation didn’t play a big part in my introduction to art and artists. Peter Orlovsky’s 57-58 four poems were crucial in my understanding on what real writing was or more important, on how a person could express themselves, free from rationality and other social constructs. EE Cummings taught me time and the spacing of language and words. Pablo Neruda showed me romance and what it meant to love someone, to breathe them and live them like winds in the night or the current of a stream, the crashing of a wave like the rose of a bush. I cut my both languages up, both English and Spanish, and was the first time I embraced my identity as a person who was living in between two cultures at the same time, who grew up crossing borders like many other thousands and thousands of fellow transfronterizxs along the U.S./Mexico frontera. For a long time I didn’t ever really feel a sense of belonging to either culture.
At this same time I started taking photographs. The camera, photography and cinema to me have always been holy. I was taking an introduction to black and white film class at San Diego City College with Professor Mary Wickline and working in the darkroom. I was going to the San Diego Central Library and checking out all the photo books I found interesting. I’d be at one section and quickly skim through the pages and see images and images and look for photographs that caught my eye. This is how I found Eugene Atget, a 19th/20th century large format photographer who essentially cataloged old Paris. Roy DeCarava was found this way. His photographs of black and white America captured the contrast of the country, the nostalgia and melancholy. I studied Meyerowitz, Frank, Callahan, Eggleston, Klein – all white men. The photographs were beautiful but I never fully felt represented by these greats of photography.
Sooner or later I found Mexican photographer Manuel Alvarez Bravo at the old bookstore (RIP) on 5th Ave Hillcrest. His photographs were beautiful depictions of Mexico, of our people, of our mystic. His work continues being my main inspiration and every so often open his book and look again and again perfect images of a culture that belonged to my grandparents and great grandparents. My family.
Through all this I learned the camera is my pen and with images I write a journal and in this manner I document my experiences, my memories, my ideas, my thoughts, feelings I’ve had, moments I’ve lived.
We’d love to hear more about your art. What do you do you do and why and what do you hope others will take away from your work?
I am a photographer and a writer. I believe in images and storytelling. For a while I was walking a lot and taking photographs of things I found interesting. To be honest with you, my early photography wasn’t very impressive. It was boring. I think I was taking a bunch of photographs of broken old abandoned public telephones, trash cans, cardboard boxes – inanimate things.
As soon as I started photographing people everything changed. It became a game. “If your pictures aren’t good enough, you aren’t close enough,” Capa would say in my ear when I was in the trolley sometimes with my camera. Several instances I had people angry I was taking a photograph. I think it comes with the work. I think little by little I do a better job of gently intruding in that personal space.
Lately my photography has become more documentative and socially conscious. Living at the border and experiencing a high sense of militarization and heavy government surveillance has impacted my definition of the camera and the kind of tool it can be. I put more thought into what exactly I am photographing. I aim for it to have a purpose, an end goal: What am I going to use these photographs for?
The stereotype of a starving artist scares away many potentially talented artists from pursuing art – any advice or thoughts about how to deal with the financial concerns an aspiring artist might be concerned about?
Restaurants, bars, coffee shops – service industry.
Also, the shipyard is always hiring.
Save your money. Stop getting wasted at North Park and actually dedicate time/money to your vision, your ideas.
Do you have any events or exhibitions coming up? Where would one go to see more of your work? How can people support you and your artwork?
I just recently returned from a three week trip to Cambodia. I am currently in the process of developing this film. I plan on exhibiting my work within the next two months and will be updating those interested via flyers, website, Instagram and word of mouth. Also, I think following me on Instagram is perhaps the best way to stay updated with projects and the work I am doing altogether as an artist who is active in the community.
Contact Info:
- Website: alejandrojunior.com
- Email: alejandromartinezpadillaii@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alejandromtnzjunior/
- Other: http://ajaproject.org
Image Credit:
Alejandro Martinez
Getting in touch: SDVoyager is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
