Christopher Velasco
Semifinalist

Christopher Anthony Velasco (born 1983; lives Los Angeles, CA) holds a BFA in Photography and Media from the California Institute of the Arts, Santa Clarita, and an MFA in Studio Art from the University of California, Santa Barbara. His work has been prominently exhibited at Avenue 50 Studio, Gallery Luisotti, Geffen Contemporary at MOCA and Getty Museum, all Los Angeles; Vincent Price Art Museum, Monterey Park, CA; Art Center College of Design, Pasadena, CA; and the Art, Design & Architecture Museum, UC Santa Barbara. Velasco has collaborated with Harry Gamboa, Jr., particularly through Virtual Verite, and has been featured in Artforum, Hyperallergic, and the Los Angeles Times. He is an adjunct professor at Moorpark College and East Los Angeles College, both CA, and he also teaches at the California State Summer School of the Arts, Sacramento.

Statement from the Artist:
“A Woman’s Face” is an ongoing photographic performance inspired by the 1941 Joan Crawford film about a woman with a disfiguring scar who seeks acceptance. I feel like an outsider, though my face is not disfigured like her character. I created this work to validate others and challenge the queer, horror, and beauty communities. Since 2020, I’ve explored my drag persona, Krystal Lake Carrington, while in quarantine. The time allowed me to experiment with makeup and fashion using affordable materials from thrift stores and the 99-cent store. By presenting my looks on social media through selfies, I engage and subvert stereotypes of Chicano queer men with my non-traditional body and gender performance. Growing up in East Los Angeles, I loved cinema and created self-portraits that pay homage to the horror films I cherished. The characters I embody blend monstrous and beautiful qualities, and I often incorporate humor and camp aesthetics into my work.

christopheravelascophotography.com
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@caver83