About
"La Muerte" Feminist Photography Series
The Story behind "La Muerte" Series
“La Muerte” is a photographic series that delves into the multifaceted concept of death through the lens of female identity and societal expectations. Comprised of five striking portraits including “Maria Guadaña,” “La Patrona,” “La Indeseable,” “La Pelada,” and “La Chingada,” each image encapsulates the essence of mortality intertwined with the complexities of womanhood.
The series challenges traditional perceptions of death and femininity, drawing parallels between the societal judgments placed upon women and the various monikers attributed to the personification of death in Mexican culture. These names, such as “La Pelada” and “La Indeseable,” reflect behaviors and characteristics that defy conventional stereotypes, highlighting the societal pressures and constraints faced by women.
Through poignant anecdotes and personal reflections, the artist unveils the interconnectedness between societal violence against women and the internal transformation that occurs when resilience and defiance take root. From the initial portrayal of fear and exhaustion in “María Guadaña ” to the empowering emergence of “La Chingada,” the series chronicles a journey of self-discovery, liberation, and reclaiming of agency.
Each portrait serves as a testament to the resilience and strength inherent in women, challenging oppressive structures and reclaiming autonomy over their identities. Through bold imagery and raw emotion, “LA MUERTE” invites viewers to confront societal norms, celebrate individuality, and embrace the transformative power of resilience in the face of adversity.
THE SERIES
"La Muerte" Feminist Photography Art Series
“LA MUERTE” Photographic series. (2023)
1. Maria Guadaña, 2. La Patrona, 3. La Indeseable, 4. La Pelada, 5. La chingada.
“They speak the same language, they are all death.”
“La chingada”, “María Guadaña”, “La Patrona”, “La Indeseable” and “La Pelada” are some of the many names that “Death” receives in Mexico…
But what do these 5 have in common, besides being nicknames for “la flaquita”? All of them describe behaviors that are socially judged in women or challenge conventional stereotypes about what a woman should, can or cannot be:
THE PIECES
A woman cannot be a protester, if she is… then she is “Una Pelada”… “Una Patrona”? No way! Surely her husband is the real boss and that’s why they named her that way… or, who did she give her butts to?… she can’t be so intelligent and capable to take care of her own means and businesses… and that is to say… if for the majority of men we are only “deseadas” if we maintain a complacent, submissive and docile attitude, otherwise and automatically… we become “las indeseables.”
I also chose, among all her nicknames, “Maria Guadaña” a little in honor of my mother, whom we also called “Chucha”, who was not saved from being another of the hundreds of thousands of women who were subjected to life. marital and domestic while her husband climbed the ladder and developed professionally, she, like so many others… on whom the domestic burden of an entire family fell, who when she revealed herself and left her husband they also called her “una pelada” although she Death overtook her when she was very young…
Váyanse a "...La Chingada"
My favorite is “La Chingada” with a serene and carefree look, she looks over everyone, beyond good and evil she is omnipresent… she doesn’t care what they say about her, she’s already fed up with everything and of all, she no longer remains silent, she no longer endures, she no longer submits…
I have been each and every one of them, and I think that is why I chose these 5 nicknames specifically, I definitely identify with each one, because they have called me, bald, crazy, exaggerated, deranged… To all those “Váyanse a la chingada”
And from this I make another analogy… it is as if with so much violence that women face every day, there comes a point where “something dies” inside us, in fact, si bien nos va… “a part of ourselves is what dies”, but many of my sisters did die in reality, many could not run, scream or escape…
Also because of that and for them, those of us who have to wait for la flaquita to come for us later, those of us who are left… there comes a moment when all our submission dies and is ready to burn, break and scream… “sale la chingada que habita en cada una” to do justice and never be silent again…
Each of this identities are no longer afraid, almost divine and at the same time out of reach of the patriarchy, they are presented as figures that cause admiration for other women, or helplessness and even fear in the males… because yes, when you stop being “meek”… cowards lose their balls.
En México, los hombres matan a 11 mujeres cada día… por todas y cada una de ellas, seguiremos alzando la voz, hasta que ya no nos falte ni una más… Sin Miedo – Vivir Quintana.
And as we feminists shout on the Day of the Death in México: Swallow them… All those sexists, misogynists, aggressors, rapists, beaters, unfaithful, abusive and abandónicos… trágatelos a todos flaquita!
BEHIND THE ESCENES
"La Muerte" Feminist Photographic Artworks Series
About the "Day of the Dead" Makeup used in this Series
Real Charcoal used in this Makeup
The makeup was done with a combination of fine art materials such as real charcoal sticks and powder, chalks, and body makeup products.
@carolinaescalanteart ✨PHOTOSHOOTING DE MI SERIE “LA MUERTE”✨
♬ original sound - ✨CAROLINA ESCALANTE ARTIST✨
Behind the Scenes
"La Muerte". The Original Day of the Dead Makeup that inspired the Series
“Swallow them… All those sexists, misogynists, aggressors, rapists, beaters, unfaithful, abusive and abandónicos… trágatelos a todos flaquita!”
What feminist shout at the Day of the Death in Mexico, 2023