Ken Castaneda
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Statement:
My work deals with language, possibilities, and the familial. The images are pointed at through not only a Latinx American lens, but through a Queer lens. In relation to my family, this newfound Queerness is a conversation between their newly founded American identities and how our actions and attitudes are dictated by the identities we choose to wear in the public and in the private. Not only do I focus the lens on my family but onto myself – subverting traditional roles of machismo, of masculinity, through staged performances of sport and gesture, specifically Lucha Libre, a form of Mexican wrestling.
There is a desire to investigate whether the actions in the images actually occurred in our present reality as is, or were staged in order to freeze that moment of ephemera. There is a construction of relationships that occurs within each image, and with how they exist next to each other when installed. Ultimately, the work deals with the notions of home, public and private and where that line blurs, leaving enough open space for the audience to create their own narrative while still keeping a space for anonymity to exist.
Bio:
Ken Castaneda is an artist working and living in Brooklyn, NY. His work focuses on Latinx American Identity through performance, sport, and self portraiture. He has been featured on OUT, Huffington Post and Capricious Blog. Ken currently, holds a BFA in Photography and Video from the School of Visual Arts.
Artist’s website: kencastaneda.com