Inspiring to Create, A Latino Photographer from Villa Victoria
Artist Pedro Cruz let’s the familiar city environment guide his pieces. He creates poems, prose, paintings, and what he is most well known for: photography. Cruz describes himself as a “city kid,” born and raised in our own Villa Victoria. “Spanish is my parents’ first language, I'm a first generation American,” he explained.
Cruz describes himself as a Latino artist, and underlines the importance of that title. “I am not only a photographer, I am a Latino photographer, I am not just a poet I am a Latino poet. We shouldn’t categorize, but society does and we can’t hide it. We shouldn’t,” he said. “I want to be known as a Latino photographer from Villa Victoria. That’s an accomplishment from where I come from.”
Growing up he was always interested in the arts, and with a little push from friends and family he’s made great strides towards becoming a fixture in the Boston art world. His first artistic pursuit was drawing when he was very young, photography came a little later. “The photography was sort of random to be honest. My dad got my mom a new camera and she gave me her old one,” he said. “From that moment it sort of just took off. It wasn’t more than a hobby for a while; then a good friend of mine saw my work and said I should pursue it.”
It’s a good thing Cruz took his friend’s advice, his photographs are meant to inspire. He looks at the world through his lens and shows the potential of reality. “Most people are told how things should be, I want to inspire people to think on their own two feet, rely on their opinion,” he said. He bases his work on the grounds that everyone has something that they do. “Whether it’s cooking, writing, talking... Everybody has something, I just want to inspire people to do that; a poem or a cake. I want people to feel inspired to create something.”
His current exhibition to be displayed at La Galeria, Dead Roses: A Visual Interpretation of Love, is a compliment to a book of poems he is set to publish this Spring. The photographs deal with love, a common theme in the art world, but he wanted to bring in a fresh perspective. Cruz didn’t want to make this another exhibit of people in love and smiling. “I made the connection with dead roses because with time a rose changes, it dries up a bit. That doesn’t mean it doesn’t hold value. It might look like a dead rose, but to the person who owned it, it is a gift, it is a memory,” he said. The exhibit depicts all aspects of love, “the beauty behind it and how you almost have to accept the pain with the happiness, because it goes hand in hand,” Cruz explained.
For this artist having the opportunity to display his work at La Galería has been a positive learning experience. “It’s been challenging and educational. Almost like an obstacle in the learning sense. I learned about myself, about the business, about my work, and about my organizational skills,” he said. For Cruz, dealing with hard deadlines, concept design, and collaborating with a team to create a final product has given him valuable tools for what’s to come. “Now I can say I am prepared for my future. It was almost like jumping in the deep end, and now I’m good, now I got this.”
IBA’s art program is about promoting Latino art and giving incredible artists the chance they deserve to display their work. Our gallery has served many outstanding artists as the diving board into remarkable careers. Cruz and his experience are what we stand for.
Don’t miss this wonderful exhibition and the opportunity to meet Cruz and ask him questions about his work Friday, January 29th from 6 to 8 PM at our gallery. For more info visit: http://bit.ly/Cruz-Exhibit16....