This story is a part of Picture’s October Luxurious subject, exploring what luxurious actually means to artists, designers, aestheticians, architects and extra.
A pores and skin, hair or make-up routine isn’t only a pores and skin, hair or make-up routine. We dived deep into the wonder rituals of artists and aestheticians throughout L.A., and in flip realized extra about their relationships to themselves and the world round them. A magnificence ritual is as a lot private as it’s a portal: to raised variations of ourselves, to raised variations of the longer term. For Sebastian Hernandez — a artistic director, efficiency artist, conceptual artist, mover and DJ who runs the social gathering You Los Angeles — magnificence doesn’t occur with out ugliness. For Hernandez, this dichotomy is finest performed out in a mattress, incorporating parts of the earth. As they put it, magnificence is “subjective but also not true. It’s mythic and fantasy.” Hernandez shall be exhibiting a brand new efficiency work, “Echo,” for the Efficiency Artwork Museum on Oct. 15.
I used to be having a very onerous time being part of the shoot, in a way, as a result of I used to be like, “Is this some thing that I believe in? Do I even think about myself as having a beauty ritual?” I used to be born and raised in Los Angeles so I really feel the life-style right here that I’ve gravitated towards is already embedded with so many unconscious magnificence rituals: figuring out, discovering one thing to put on each different weekend. Possibly it’s additionally cultural too. I’m Mexican, and my dad and mom have all the time been folks that simply actually wish to dress.
I used to be having to sit down down and be like, “OK, what is it that you do?” One factor I’m beginning to afford myself extra now, as I’m getting older, is extra sleep and specializing in having the ability to relaxation and nap. It felt prefer it was a really juicy website for the issues that I needed to speak about: mattress and relaxation, the picture of my physique resting, and it having multiple easy interpretation. I introduced in a component of earth, which is the clay that we used, and we introduced in some flowers. I performed with this concept of easy methods to convey this message. I hearkened it again to, “What is actually beautiful? And do I believe in it?” Did people acceptable the time period lovely from nature to solid it upon itself? Possibly nature was really the unique fantastic thing about the world.
“What is actually beautiful? And do I believe in it?” Did people acceptable the time period lovely from nature to solid it upon itself? Possibly nature was really the unique fantastic thing about the world.
— Sebastian Hernandez
I began to consider magnificence in that approach, and the way nature is serene, nevertheless it is also violent in its pure approach. This idea of ugly and exquisite. I pushed it slightly additional — simply as a lot as I wish to relaxation and for that to be some recuperative, generative ritual that may assist me look lovely, the mattress may also be the positioning of a variety of contemplation in regards to the world and the issues which are taking place exterior my secure place. I’m in my mattress loads, and I’m laughing typically on Twitter [now known as X]. It’s loopy — you’re scrolling and also you’re laughing at tweets, however then the subsequent tweet shall be individuals self-immolating in response to the genocide of Palestinian individuals, or the gamut of issues on the border. It’s by no means ending. There’s an exquisite and an unpleasant, mild and darkish idea in mattress for me. After I was fascinated about this picture, I used to be fascinated about Palestine and simply the interconnected net of imperialism to oppression and genocide. Additionally, the battle of Indigenous individuals all the world over, together with Mexico and Oaxaca, throughout borders and migrants generally looking for peace and security anyplace on the planet.
After I appeared again on my life and my upbringing, I had a contrived affiliation with magnificence as a result of I didn’t see myself within the media rising up. The wonder facet hasn’t been some factor that’s been straightforward. I grew up in a Mexica Indigenous tribe circle referred to as Xipetotec, led by Lazaro Arvizu. At first, I used to be not excited. My dad and mom pressured me and my sister to affix the group with them. There was some inner type of self-hate, cultural hate in some methods. I used to be born into the Mormon church, so there was that colonialism taking place in my consciousness, on high of self-hate due to repression of my sexuality. All these items have been an enormous a part of being a first-generation Mexican American. There was additionally bullying once I was in center faculty that occurred for not solely my sexuality, my femininity, but additionally my pores and skin colour. Going again to Xipetotec, I really feel like that’s an essential a part of my core, my id and understanding of my very own connection to Indigenous tradition. Additionally, the preservation of my individuals and my ancestors in as we speak’s society, the place we’re as Indigenous individuals, our sovereignty and the way we share land with different individuals which have been displaced on their very own.
Magnificence is subjective but additionally not true. It’s mythic and fantasy. With reference to society and occasions that we’re in, the way in which I’m feeling is that there’s no magnificence on the planet proper now. There’s by no means been peace, there’s all the time been colonization, it’s all the time been a battle and a battle and violence. I’ve the privilege to sit down and suppose and be an artist and put my finest foot ahead and supply one thing that may make individuals suppose otherwise in regards to the world. Possibly magnificence is sooner or later, and I can’t look ahead to magnificence to really be right here.
Inventive route Sebastian HernandezHair & make-up Tanya “Nena” MelendezProp styling Synthea GonzalesProduction Mere Studios
