Analise Minjarez
The visual poems of Analise Minajrez materialize the consciousness of time and space from the borderlands. She uses the physical material of the Texas/Mexico border to create works that seem to transport us into a metaphysical state where memory and our present time coexist. Within her interdisciplinary practice, she uses tension through materials such as wire and clay to transform aspects of daily anxiety into healing conversations about our current politically charged times and into finding moments of clarity about our place on this earth.
Artist Statement
My work explores the transformation, consumption, repurposing, and healing qualities of clay in my creative practice. In my interdisciplinary studio, I seek out the possibilities - and the limits - of wonder through nature. Within my perspective, as a Texas/Mexico fronteriza I respond to material through installation, sculpture, drawing, experimental photography, and video.
The seasons, light, and moisture all dictate the changing states of clay. I am occasionally in tune with these shifts, however, it requires great patience, attention, and knowledge. I work with clay to continuously connect with the elements of earth, air, fire, and water. Additionally, I am working with harvested clay from my hometown of El Paso, TX as an attempt to consider personal memory, collective memory, and consider geological questions of time. I think about the complexities of time, place, and cycles and find myself super anxious. Is my wonder of the living world a form of personal healing or a form of escapism from the demands of keeping up in the attention economy?
I reconnect to myself as a part of nature with sensitivity to light, material, and site. I pay attention to nature in relation to how I see myself connected to a place. I understand my materials better when I consider where they come from and my work hinges on their transformation. My response to materials and their meanings at times can be overwhelming. I continue to adapt and react to the sensations produced through material connection. I play with tension or look for release with material pairing in each piece. My studio exists both as a physical place, but also as a state of mind.
Bio
Analise Minjarez is an interdisciplinary artist and arts educator from El Paso, TX. Minjarez received her B.F.A. in Fibers from the University of North Texas in 2013. She recently received her M.F. A. from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, TX in 2022. Minjarez has taught classes at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, Latino Cultural Center, Oak Cliff Cultural Center, Oil and Cotton, SAY Sí, and the Southwest School of Arts. Most recently, Minjarez has exhibited work at the Xolo Gallery in El Paso, TX and the Nasher Sculpture Museum in Dallas, TX as part of the 2020 Nasher Windows Series.
