Today we’d like to introduce you to Cristina Mora.
Cristina, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I was first introduced to photography through making a pinhole camera out of a shoebox in my 7th-grade photography class. I was intrigued by the idea of a small pinhole acting as an aperture and on the inside of the box, the image would project upside down and reverse. The idea that I could make a camera out of cardboard and tape and not buy an expensive camera was crazy to me. I would make images with my pinhole camera on light-sensitive photo paper and develop them through darkroom practices. It was such a hands-on process, from making the pinhole camera to mixing the chemicals, to printing the image. I loved how much control I had over the process and creating something that was truly me. From that point on, I knew I wanted to work in the darkroom any chance I got.
When I was 13, I got my sister’s old Minolta film camera that she used when she had to take a photo class at our school. I began to create still lifes out of broken glass and venturing outside in the woods behind the school’s soccer field. My photo teacher saw my photos and told my mom that I had an eye for capturing images. And I started to believe it. I saved all my money from birthday’s, Christmas’, and all the coins I collected and finally bought myself my first DSLR camera when I turned 15.
Halfway through 10th grade, I switched schools and no longer had access to a darkroom. My first English class there required students to create a presentation about our dream job and how we would achieve it. I ended up making my presentation about how I wanted to be a photographer. After presenting my project, the teacher told me about how the yearbook class was looking for photographers for the upcoming year. In my head I thought, I don’t know how to photograph people and don’t think I’d actually like the idea of photographing high school events. I applied anyways and during my last two years of high school, I ended up being the head photographer. Funny enough, I ended up loving it because it allowed me to photograph and meet so many amazing people.
During my senior year of high school, I actually debated where I’d apply for college. My family members wanted me to go into a science field or become a teacher. For the longest time, I told myself I’d study Chemical or Mechanical Engineering (I couldn’t decide and thank God I never had to!) but longed to study photography. I decided to leave the decision up to where I got accepted. One of the colleges I got accepted into was Savannah College of Art and Design. I knew I had one question to ask myself: what would I be happy doing for the rest of my life? I couldn’t help but picture the fish from Spongebob living unhappily with his life decisions (for reference: https://media.giphy.com/media/sA8HUiA09PWtq/giphy.gif ). So I started my first semester of college at SCAD in the Fall of 2015. Some of my family members were disappointed in my decision. My mom supported it but always suggested I become a Montessori teacher. But I have never regretted choosing photography. Coming to SCAD, I was surrounded by an endless crowd of creatives. I had never been so inspired until I got to SCAD. There were other people my age that loved art and creating artwork and being completely different. There wasn’t anyone there to judge me for not choosing engineering.
When I started getting into my photo classes, I just wanted to try anything and everything because I had access to a variety of photo equipment. But after experimenting so much, I knew I needed to be more personal with my work and use photography to show who I am. I then had an ~identity crisis~ at 19, you know an adolescent thing. I could hear Hugh Jackman singing “Who Am I?” from Les Mis during the majority of winter break of 2016. I refrained from posting anything on social media in hopes I’d figure myself out before presenting myself to my peers, and before presenting my artwork to my peers.
My hiatus ended up being 15 months long. I felt my mind needed space and care. The psychological impact social media has on a mind was overwhelming and started to become clearer to me. So during that time, I started coming to myself as an artist. I learned about lighting, met so many amazing people, I finally got to use a darkroom again (at this point it had been four years since I stepped foot into a darkroom). And I finally became one with my artwork. I created projects that meant something to me. I shared my thoughts and feelings, and I shared myself through my work.
With a new year, comes new resolutions and hopes for a better self. I kicked off 2017 with a project I created about mental health called Self Growth. This series focuses on the importance of taking care of one’s self in all aspects. My cousin and I had a whole discussion about how in order to grow and go forward, we can’t fixate on just one aspect about ourselves but we must give attention to ALL aspects. My own resolution was to care for my well-being and help others realize that that’s the most important resolution they could make themselves. And in order to work on my well-being, there are several aspects I had to focus on. Those aspects became the foundation of this series. The six in the series are: health, environment, intellect, emotional, social, and spiritual. I asked friends who were open to speaking about mental health or learning about it through the process to model. I liked the idea of using flowers and nature to showcase the beauty in caring for one’s self. I wanted the topic of mental health to be seen as natural and something beautiful to talk about and to erase the mental health stigma.
After that series, I fell in love with the idea of using my images to make a statement. To empower others to speak out on issues that not many people talk about. Throughout the year, I continued to create work that focused on mental health, body image, and women empowerment. I returned to social media and spoke out about the reason behind my hiatus. The response I received about it was incredible. So many people, ones I am close to and ones that I haven’t heard from in years, reached out to me to talk about how they related and felt the same way. Seeing that my work began conversations and helped people speak out made me want to speak out more. I then kicked off 2018 by creating a series called Introspection. It is a series of “self-portraits” (quotation marks because there is no person within the frame) shot on 4×5 black and white film. The series presents my longing for exploration, finding peace of mind, and focusing on a better mental state. I decided to use a mirror to serve as a metaphor for a window or portal to a better environment both physically and mentally but also to show that I am reflecting on myself or allow the viewer to reflect on themselves. Thus, allowing anyone to analyze their own mental and emotional processes.
I am currently halfway through my senior year at SCAD. And over the past two years, I have used mirrors in my work several times. Mirrors in my work intertwine the idea of the reflection of self and of society. Although I have used mirrors to reflect on who I am and who I’d like to be, I tend to think about how others feel more often. My latest project, Please Look Closely, has been the most personal series I have ever created. I cyanotype printed images and text on mirrors. This time, the mirrors in this work are not for me to reflect on myself but for the viewer to reflect on what is in front of them. When looking at this work, the viewer has two options: to look at the image carefully or to ignore the image completely and look at themselves. If I’ve learned anything, it’s that no matter what happens each year, no matter how stuck I feel, I can’t ignore the situation in front of me. It will always be a part of me, my life, and who I am. Please Look Closely is a series about a period of time that has passed and cannot be erased but has shaped me to who I am today. As I reflect on myself as an artist and how 2018 played out, what’s on my mind will always show through my artwork. Everything that has happened over the years and everything I have created has gotten me to where I am today. I will continue to look closely at what comes in and out of my life. I will continue to speak out about my beliefs and feelings because it has made me the artist I am today.
Has it been a smooth road?
Most challenges I have faced have been financial. My parents separated before I could begin to remember and it made it financially difficult growing up. I relied heavily on my academic scholarships to be able to afford college. Another challenge has been my family accepting my decision of studying photography in college but thankfully through the past almost 4 years now, they have seen my hard work and passion. I would say another challenge would be my mental state. Throughout college, my anxiety and stress have increasingly gotten more challenging to cope with. I have really learned how to cope with it and continuously surround myself with good people and being in healthy environments. And finally, being a Latina woman in a male-dominated field makes it impossible for me to not face sexism and racism.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Mora Photography story. Tell us more about it.
I am a freelance photographer and production assistant. I am in love with handmade image and object — I specialize in darkroom practices, alternative photo process such as cyanotypes, vandykes, and palladium printing, and paper and bookmaking. I wouldn’t say my brand is fully developed yet but it’s getting there! I’m quite fond of old-school photography and experimentation. I think I found a way to set myself apart from others is through my love for handwork and the delicacy in my presentation of issues that tend to be difficult to speak out about. I don’t think it’s common to see alternative processes as much anymore and I’m always looking for surfaces to print on, from my handmade paper to mirrors!
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
I’m all about experimentation! I am constantly looking for new processes and trends to try out. Actually, an upcoming project I have in mind requires larger mirrors (of course), some windows, traveling, and maybe a little bit of sewing. I will be graduating in the Spring of 2019 from SCAD and I plan to continue to do freelance photography and production assisting after. I’d like to one day become an art director and would love to collaborate with mental health awareness organizations to speak out in schools across the country and educate people more about mental health.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.cristinamora.photo
- Email: moracristina97@gmail.com
- Instagram: @mora_cristina
- Twitter: @CristinaMora_
- Other: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cristina-mora-640206169/
Image Credit:
Sequoyah Wildwyn-Dechter
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