Cerritos College
Cerritos College • Norwalk, Calif.

Talon Marks

Cerritos College • Norwalk, Calif.

Talon Marks

Cerritos College • Norwalk, Calif.

Talon Marks

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Art collabs with autobody program

Beatriz+Cortez+created+a+dome%2C+Black+Mirror+for+her+art+show+Your+Life+Work.+The+dome+piece+is+connected+to+a+previous+work+of+hers%2C+The+Cosmos.
Benjamin Garcia
Beatriz Cortez created a dome, “Black Mirror” for her art show “Your Life Work.” The dome piece is connected to a previous work of hers, “The Cosmos.”

Visual Artist and Professor of Central American Studies at Cal State Northridge, Beatriz Cortez is currently showcasing an exhibit with the idea of a singular career path as a way of contributing to society as a theme.

The artist asserts that vocational skills are not only used to get a job but can be used to express one’s self on the same way an artist might.

Students and faculty members attended the Tuesday, Mar. 1 show and greatly appreciated the exhibition of Cortez’s work.

The artist stated, “This installation is linked to my previous work, “The Cosmos.” That piece had a structure very similar to this. You could go inside and there were fun house-like mirrors.

One of her artwork, “Black Mirror,” was a big hit at the opening night show.

“I am interested in how the black mirror for Mesoamerican cultures was a way for people to define their future. In modernity the aptitude test is a way for you to define your destiny. So I wanted to have both versions here.” explained Cortez.

Years ago the Art department started a collaboration with the Technology department that would place a professional artist in the facilities of a Technology division.

Last year Cortez was chosen to be apart of the program. She was imbedded in the Auto-body program to work with sheet metal and auto-body paint.

She continued, “I also think that there’s something interesting about how I took the videos form the 1940’s. I took out the voice overs of the videos and I put them inside the ball, like it’s in that space.”

Art History instructor, Lisa Boutin-Vitela expressed her excitement for this event, “I enjoyed the dome that she created. It was fun to go inside.”

This event was a culmination of Cortez’s residency at Cerritos College. She has been on campus since Oct. 2015 as part of this program.

Gallery Director and Professor of Art History, James MacDevitt gave a brief summary of his role in this exhibit, “I was the one who imagined, founded, and created the residency. I worked alongside [Cortez] as she proposed the exhibition and as she built it.”

She expressed,I hope [this piece] will inspire students to think with the skills and resources they have here at Cerritos College, they can make things that they haven’t imagined.”

 

 

 

 

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Benjamin Garcia, Fall 2017 Online Editor
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Art collabs with autobody program