Dulce Pinzon is an artist who, without trying, has already created her ‘Nashville Skyline’, her own ‘Nebraska’. She has in the course of just doing what she loves – photography – made a collection which completely challenges preconceived notions while being pretty damn innovative at the same time. “The Real Story of the Superheroes”, her award winning photography collection of Mexican immigrants dressed as superheroes performing their daily jobs in order to support families south of the border is without a doubt one of the most important pieces of art work to come from this age of immigration related fanaticism. The importance of the immigrant to America, especially the Mexican immigrant to present day America is undeniable, whatever you believe about immigration laws and reform. What Pinzon has done is look at this light in a wholly new fashion.
A great writer once told me that the most important thing an artist can do is something new, even just to create something that has already been done in a new light, to avoid the obvious, to go where others have not gone. Although there have been plenty of artists in all sorts of mediums who have taken the issue of immigration and put their own spin, their own beliefs, their own experiences into it – none have done so in such a beautiful and heartfelt way.
Dulce Pinzon may not be a household name and even in her own borough she may not be the most recognized artist but even if ‘Superheroes’ ended up being her only major piece of work (which one hopes it will not be), she would have done something few artists these days end up doing – making a truly remarkable and unique piece of work.
Interview with Dulce Pinzon
What got you into art? Did you ever think it would be a career?
I used to love the view masters and little cinema toys and to create recordings. I was probably eight.
How does your background affect or influence your art?
I cannot separate my background, I am who I am.
What work are you proudest of?
All my work makes me proud but mostly [the] Spiderman picture I guess.
Photography is a hard world to get involved with in any successful way, what would you say to folks who are interested in making photography into a career?
Go for it, be passionate and trust your guts. There is a saying that I love: “When you passionately believe in what doesn’t exist, you just created it.”
How does politics affect your work, if at all?
Completely, I am very political.
You emigrated from Mexico, how did that affect your wanting to become an artist? What are you views of immigration in the US these days?
Complex question - not a simple answer but a short one: I was an artist already but I wanted to try the American dream…
Immigration in the US - controversial, in the whole world: a contemporary issue, in Mexico: a very hypocritical [one].
What do you think about the art world today? Who are you into? Is there anything being made these days that you just do not respect?
Today: a lot of crap and vain work, the awareness of the market makes artist to be shallow. I believe it has to be a co-relation between quality in the manufacture and great concept. [There is] a lot of good art but I feel most of good art is underrepresented.
There is a disparity between good art and commerce. Favorite artist: depends on my mood and day: Maurizio Cattelan, Matthew Barney, Yoshitomo Nara, Carlos Amorales, Anthony Goicolea…many!!!
If you could collaborate with any artist (in any medium) who would it be? Why?
I don’t know right now, maybe create music. I like what I do. I am pretty occupied with photography and producing conceptual parties that involve musicians and other forms of art.
A few prompts.
Art is…..beauty!
Love is….fun!
In the future…we all going to be really hot!! And not in a good way if we don’t act now!
Check out Dulce’s work at www.dulcepinzon.com