Victoria Ramirez

AUGUST 13 - NOVEMBER 11, 2019

Matthew Peters | October 2019

There's plenty to grab one's attention at first glance of Victoria Ramirez's paintings. Human-like figures dominate the canvas in a mix of neon and other bright colors. Big, bold lips, among other body parts, are littered through her current exhibition with The Arts Area, on view August 13 - November 11, 2019 at CASA Pitzer in Downtown Ontario. But a closer look reveals layers like a sticker from a banana peel, words scratched into the background or that the canvas is actually a cabinet door. "Really knowing the kind of scale you are in, knowing the objects you are using, a lot of layering really helps that out," said Ramirez of balancing the subtle and bold within her work. "I guess I've always been excited to make something that's extremely visible yet very personal, you know?"

The Fontana resident grew up in Carson but moved to the Inland Empire around the seventh grade. She graduated from Kaiser High School in 2014 and is currently studying studio art at Chaffey College. She came in contact with The Arts Area after taking founder John Machado's art history class. 

Ramirez's life and work exist within a duality. Sometimes straddling two ideas simultaneously. Sometimes worlds entirely. "I would say sometimes I feel there are two worlds, and I'm kind of sitting in one but have my arm out into the other," Ramirez said. "So there are more than a few things happening at the same time. Like, reality and not reality. Or my reality and the other possible reality." She is active in protest, rallying around issues such as ICE, slaughterhouses and the rise of warehouse building within the Inland Empire. On that final issue, there is a catch. She works for a large company at one of those warehouses. While she admits she enjoys the pay, she also sees the damage being done. "It makes me feel not that great being there because it's depressing. Me being there is me supporting them," Ramirez said. "Then again, I just want that check, every week check."

Her artistic process and results land in a similar state of opposition. There's space for happy accidents. Leave a painting on the floor. The dog poops on it. It becomes part of the work. Leave a painting outside to dry, leaves blow into wet paint. It becomes a part of the work. But mixed within the elements left to chance is plenty of intention. Her work addresses topics ranging from the human form to protest to dance music. It is work that fits squarely within The Arts Area's mission statement to highlight social justice. And yet, while there is a heaviness to the current sociopolitical landscape she is addressing, there's also room for levity. "I've been really inspired by the rave scene," Ramirez said. "Even though all these problems are happening, I feel we must get up physically, mentally and emotionally to just go and do our day. We can't always be sad and negative. That just becomes your own personal choice of being."

Ramirez recently sat down with The Arts Area to discuss her background, approach to art and her "made up techniques." 

What is your background in art?

I started getting really into art during high school. Or even before high school. As a child, I saw taggings on trash cans or sticker slapping on the poles or sidewalk. That always caught my eye. I was like, oh shit that's out of nowhere, out of place type of thing. That was cool. I remember getting my own 99 cent store sketch pads and pencils. It went from that to really taking a bigger interest in it around ninth grade. I would say more strictly into it to the point where this is what I want to do forever.

It just kind of connected?

It did just kind of connect. I've always been not the best at expressing like everybody else. Being affectionate or actually saying what we mean. So I've always just found a way of doing so with art. You know, experiencing things on paper with pencil.

What makes the pieces up at CASA Pitzer a collection?

I would say they are made around the same year. Also, I feel like I make pieces that belong to a certain series, chapter or season. I would say it relates more to what's happening now in my life and I guess society also. I'm always constantly thinking about the world and the people in it.

What is the significance of lips in your work?

It can be a simple lip or a kiss type of thing or a sexual thing to it being part of our mouth, part of our head. Even though, most of the time, we have the ability to speak out, right? A lot of times we don't do any of that. In a way that is a symbolic reference to us having all this power yet not using it to actually do good. Let's say someone is getting bullied, and you kind of just look. Or a dog got run over and you just kind of saw it, but you didn't say anything to prohibit that from happening. I guess in a way it's kind of like a portal to give or to not type of thing. You either want to get into it or you don't want to. It's a choice that will impact everyone.

I noticed one of the paintings uses a cabinet door as the canvas. What's the story behind that? 

It was a drawer. My dad took the nails off. He just found some unwanted type of cabinet thing on the street. He brought it home and he usually makes things out of stuff too. I was like, hey, I could use that. I used it as a canvas. It turned out pretty cool. I feel that any time you can make anything anywhere. There's no excuse.

Do you see an artistic opportunity with all kinds of different objects?

Yeah, like cars. I've thought about painting my car, but then I'm like wait should I? Maybe not. Maybe I'll get a side car when I can, just like a little old buggy. Maybe paint it then when I can have more than one car.   

How did you come in contact with The Arts Area?

I know Machado from school. I've taken his art history class about three times. I had to retake it. Even though I love art and art history as well, it's a lot to take in and remember. I've had to retake it a few times. That's where I met him. He's a pretty cool guy. I also met him through Curious Publishing. We also follow each other on social media. So he was like, hey, look at this submission thing. I looked at it. It was The Arts Area exhibition. I was like, that's pretty cool. I was already thinking to rent a space out for myself. Just like a random abandoned building to make my own exhibition. I really had to look into how much it costs, how long I can have it, etc. I made a lot of phone calls and it always ended up being over like two grand to rent the space. I was like what the heck. I'm not trying to use too much money on it. That didn't end up happening yet. But it's an idea. It was cool that this opportunity came where I can have my own stuff there. I just applied. I sent a bunch of photos of my work, an artist statement and next thing you know I'm dropping off all the work at night after work.

How does the concept of social justice impact your work?

When I approach my work, I do have a variety of things that I am thinking about and want to insert into my work. Social justice is one of them. That's why I have the lips. I'll have other human physical characteristics as well. Like instead of me making a poster saying why we need social justice I sort of just paint that feeling and show it in a different form rather than being very advertising. Like, I can paint a poster saying we need social justice so and so. But is everyone going to want to read that or even cares about that? It's like me giving you a feeling type of thing. If I want to give you sadness, I will hand it to you in a physical form. When I make my work I also think about freedom of speech and freedom of being. In order for there to be social justice, we'd have to have the confidence and the will to want to make that movement. Whether it's protesting, chaining yourself to a pole right in front of a slaughterhouse to make your point or not going to a specific store to not support them because there are a lot of slave shops behind them, etc. I would say it's very subliminal how I insert these events or issues such as social justice. 

In your artist statement, you write that you "often use made-up techniques to reach a certain unique flavor in the process." What are made up techniques?

I guess a technique that I can call made up ... This was a long time ago. I had a paper painting on my floor. I was letting it dry and my little puppy went in and kind of shit on it. I had to move around the poop to get it off. So that made a little symbol or type of painterly look. That was cool. I ended up taking it all off but there was a light brown stain on it, which ended up looking really cool. So that's one. There are times where I'll attach things to my paintings. I'm really about saving clothing or recycling. So if there are like a pair of jeans that don't fit anymore or are too ripped I'll cut pieces off it and use that and mix that into the painting. There are times when I have a painting outside and I'll leave it out there. Since we have this huge tree and a bunch of leaves will fall on it. So if there's a corner left with wet paint, the next thing you know when I come back there are leaves on it. So that becomes part of the painting. Sometimes I'll splatter dirt on it. 

So there's a balance between a clear plan and randomness?

Yeah, I would say. There was this one time I got a cut on my hand. I was walking over my floor where some of my paints are and blood fell on my paintings. There are many that I don't even remember. They are very unconscious and random.