Today we’d like to introduce you to Isabel Pichardo.
Isabel, we’d love to hear your story and how you got to where you are today both personally and as an artist.
Hello! My name is Isabel Pichardo. I am from North County San Diego and I have been a long time student but I recently finally received my BFA in Creative Photography from Cal-State Fullerton. I have lived in North County all my life so this place is a big part of me and who I am today. Art has always had a place in my life, since I was a kid I knew I wanted to become an artist but being young my only exposure to art was drawing and painting. Those mediums are important but I never felt like I fit in that realm of art. When I discovered photography I was still young and mostly used it for aesthetic use and I didn’t think I could become a photographer per-say. Once I took my first darkroom photography class at MiraCosta that was the moment I knew I wanted to pursue photography. Since then my art has become a culmination of media and varied in topics and themes. Most of my work is self-reflective and surrounding topics of identity. Recently my work has been more video-based but still includes mixed media aspects. Being trained as a photographer, the photograph is more of a starting point now and I build my ideas off of the images I create. Aside from more formal artworks, I also make zines and have been publishing zines since 2014. I started with a series entitled Noodle Times, as a diary type zine that was produced bi-yearly. I have since moved away from that series and have made more stand-alone zines under my press, Bandita Press. Creating zines has become very important to me since I started in 2014. Growing up interested in mostly punk music and going outside the social norms, zines were easily understood and interrogated into my workflow. Zines have allowed me to make work more accessible and I have a passion for sharing zines and book making with others. I believe it still is a revolutionary art form that creates a deeper community and allows for more voices to be heard.
We’d love to hear more about your art. What do you do and why and what do you hope others will take away from your work?
My earlier works were more emotive and at times more tactile. With my earlier works I was able to experiment more and use materials that aren’t commonly associated for artistic use. With encouragement from professors and peers it allowed me to work the way I do now, which is with a variety of tools and materials. My artwork has mostly been rooted in topics of identity. I identify as Mexican American and as I grew up I do have a lot of memories and experiences surrounding my identity. My current work is dealing a lot more with my identity and memories. My most recent work, Felt Me, is an animation based on my experiences with my hair. It is rooted in deep memories I have from childhood to my present self. Creating these works is a way for me to further understand myself and also create a shared environment for others to have a cathartic moment. A lot of my inspirations are my friends as well as artists who believed in breaking the boundaries of how art could be presented and shared. I enjoy making work that is not traditional and creating a dialogue about materials and access. In today’s day these conversations I hope to create are very important to me because I do believe that through art, change can occur. Even if it is as simple as a change of perspective or becoming more open-minded. Artists have historically been largely influential in social change, and I hope to contribute to that type of history. As a professor of mine stated once, ‘art is political.’
Artists face many challenges, but what do you feel is the most pressing among them?
A challenge facing artists today is both a resource and a cause for a challenge, social media. There is a lot of pressure to be constantly posting and present online, but it can be challenging, emotional, and physically, to be like every other artist. There is a sense of demand for artists today that is harsher than before due to social media. It can truly be of a benefit, but if there were more spaces and options for artists outside of the online world that could ease the tension. Due to the lack of spaces for artists, it does drive them to social media, which is helpful but can become an even harder audience to break through. There are other challenges as well in creating spaces for artists. To overcome these challenges, it is important for artists to work together to create more opportunities for everyone to succeed.
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 recently created a website, isabelpichardo.com. It is still very new, so only my animation and statement are currently there. I am also on Instagram @Isabel_bandita and @banditapress. My main Instagram I post more day to day things and my zine page is more about shows I have submitted to or will be tabling at. A way to support me is to buy my zines, buy prints, and go to shows that I am apart of when able.
Contact Info:
- Website: isabelpichardo.com
- Email: cycobandita@gmail.com
- Instagram: @isabel_bandita and @banditapress
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