María Magdalena Campos-Pons: behold

Abstract

"María Magdalena Campos-Pons (b. 1959) makes powerful work that holds and beholds the stories of historically silenced peoples and urges societal change. Her journey as an artist, teacher, and activist has taken her from Cuba through the United States, and her autobiographical compositions honor her Nigerian and Chinese ancestors while also facing the future. With an artistic practice that crosses boundaries, intertwines media--from photography to sculpture, film to performance--and references traditions and beliefs ranging from feminism to Santería, Campos-Pons's work is deeply layered and complex. This volume, the first critical look at the artist's oeuvre in nearly two decades, surveys the concerns, materials, and places invoked throughout her forty-year career. Thoughtful essays explore her vibrant, arresting artwork, which confronts issues of agency and the construction of race and belonging and challenges us to reckon with these issues in our own lives."-- Provided by publisher.

Contents

Introduction: La única / Amalia Mesa-Bains -- María Magdalena Campos-Pons: Behold / Carmen Hermo -- Rooted in Cuba and connected to the world / Selene Wendt -- "This, this, this, this, this": photography in pieces / Mazie M. Harris -- Making and mapping: the video art practice of María Magdalena Campos-Pons / Phillip Townsend -- Follow FeFa / Jenée-Daria Strand -- Plates.