Q&A with Estelle Maisonett, 2023-2024 Artist-in-Residence

TLP: Can you tell us about work and what you hope to accomplish during your residency with us?

This residency offers a unique opportunity to engage directly with communities in the vibrant milieu of my birthplace, New York City – a site where Latinx individuals have left indelible imprints and have been profoundly shaped by historical and contemporary events. Within this dynamic urban landscape, a multitude of visual, verbal, and nonverbal languages intertwine and converge. My practice centers on the exploration of nonverbal languages, encompassing the eloquence of body language, the economic and swaggy narratives woven through fashion, the architectural constructs that bear witness to the past, and the landscapes that hold profound layers of historical and present-day information. I pull from the audible languages that raised me, such as music and dialects, which contribute to my layered Nuyorican experience. Within the collages I create, I harness the power of these layered languages, mirroring the complexity of my own upbringing in NYC while simultaneously unraveling my familial history. 

TLP: Can you describe how you see the future of Latinx art and artists?

Envisioning the future of Latinx art and artists, I hope for a landscape that embodies expansiveness and inclusivity. The diaspora holds a remarkable range of diverse experiences, cultures, and backgrounds. I hope that the future of Latinx art embraces and celebrates both our shared connections and the intricacy of our distinctive differences. Recognizing the nuanced nature of our diaspora, we must acknowledge that it is far from a monolithic entity, but rather an assemblage composed of multifarious layers of race, place, nationality, language, and more, in varying proportions. In this pursuit, it becomes crucial for us as artists to authentically voice our individual experiences and ancestral histories.

By nurturing an environment that embraces the diverse range of Latinx experiences and perspectives, we can begin to understand the fullness of our histories. This entails providing platforms that amplify our voices, exhibiting our works in diverse cultural contexts, and facilitating critical engagement with Latinx art within academic, institutional, and public spheres. Furthermore, the future of Latinx art necessitates ongoing conversations surrounding equity, inclusivity, and cultural preservation. As Latinx artists, we have a responsibility to honor the legacies of our ancestors, while also pushing the boundaries of artistic expression and challenging entrenched power structures. By forging new pathways, we can ensure that Latinx art continues to thrive and evolve, reframing narratives, dismantling stereotypes, and offering fresh perspectives. In this spirit, I envision a future where Latinx art transcends borders, engages in cross-cultural dialogues, and resonates with audiences on a global scale. I believe Latinx art has the potential to shape and redefine our contemporary landscape.

TLP: You'll be in a university setting and education has always been central to your work. Can you tell us a bit about how you activate teaching through your work?

The educational aspect in each work varies from formal to informal. Someone once told me that it’s not our job to educate everyone. We can choose. I think everything in the world holds information and knowledge; we just have to be willing to learn from it. Tapestries, architecture, objects. They hold stories of how they’re made, where they were made, when they were made, what they were made from, their purpose and wisdom. I believe language also exists in a visual format, and just as in linguistics, there is always the possibility of miscommunication. My work aims to teach viewers to see beyond facade and surface to cognitively process and separate assumption from reality. My work aims to incite viewers to do the work of looking, self-evaluating, and learning for themselves through layers of visibility.

TLP: We admire how you use urban landscapes and intimate histories in your work. Can you tell us about the inspiration for your practice? 

Growing up in the Bronx, I was immersed in the complexity of the cityscape, with its changing architectural forms, ephemeral infrastructures, and layers of history embedded within its walls. My practice is driven by a resonation with the fleeting nature of urban spaces and the evidence of its past unknowingly littered throughout the city. I feel pulled by a commitment to preserve non-dominant histories, narratives often overshadowed or marginalized within the broader historical discourse. By incorporating discarded garments and objects sourced from the neighborhoods I grew up in, I aim to give visibility to overlooked stories and experiences embedded within my community. 

Through the juxtaposition of these objects and materials, I construct compositions that interrogate the fiction of images and surfaces, inviting viewers to engage with the multifaceted layers of meaning and perception. By incorporating elements of my cultural heritage, such as references to my Puerto Rican and Mexican roots, I seek to forge an archival timeline that reflects my personal upbringing and the histories of my community. Through the use of materials that evoke touch, I aim to create a sensory experience that elicits emotional and psychological responses, inviting viewers to connect on a deeper level. I strive to challenge preconceived notions, stimulate critical dialogue around identity, and invite viewers to engage the narratives within the surfaces of our surroundings.