Freedom Photograph Javiera Estrada

Archival Silver Gelatin Print 

In Salt + Sea, the artist intentionally places women in their most vulnerable form—naked— back into a natural environment in order to display their strength against the elements. The interaction between the two forces narrows the gap between society’s hackneyed constructs of women’s place in society and the unfailing honesty of the nude form where her spirit can run free. The sand and rocks are representative of the harsh political environment, while the water demonstrates the more “fluid” nature of women. 

In addition, the division between the latter symbolizes our current social and monetary disparity between women and men, and specifically, African American women. African American women are rarely seen on sand or sea due to the old paradigms of fear instilled by their ancestors. This fear not only disempowers but suppresses a huge demographic of women in our country, thereby continuing the justification of incapability. 

Simultaneously, the ocean's multi-faceted cycle has often been likened to the female temperament; a great force to be reckoned with. Therefore it’s no surprise that salt, a vital element of the sea, has been referred to as feminine in numerous cultural mythologies as well as embodying healing properties. Thus, it is imperative that we view women as the “salt” of our communities, the essential element needed in healing this antiquated imbalance.

Original Created: 2017

Subjects: Nude

Styles: Portraiture, nude

Mediums: photography

Materials: Paper

Photography Print: photography on Paper

Artist Produced Limited Edition of: 7

Size: 27 W x 27 H x 0.1 D in

Frame: Not Framed

Packaging: Ships Rolled in a Tube

Multi-media artist Javiera Estrada was born in Mexico in 1981 and moved to the United States in 1989. Her childhood was heavily influenced by her training in classical piano and violin, which continues to inspire her aesthetic today. She attended Santa Monica College and received her Certificate of Photography in 2009. Estrada’s broad scope of work is a reflection of memories that she has shaped into her reality. A seeker of the spiritual, Estrada believes that every piece of art created is a self-portrait, a physical expression of that inner nameless world our soul inhabits. Using photography as her main visual medium, the sound of the camera's click offers her the perfect confluence between the real and the ethereal. A multifarious artist, Estrada’s creative expression encompasses traditional photography, mixed media, sculpture, installation, and film.

Estrada has exhibited in galleries in the United States, Europe, and Asia. Her work is part of private and corporate collections internationally. In 2014 she won Art Slant’s Juried Competition, was a 2015 finalist for the Emerging Focus Competition, and is the 2017 winner of the ND Awards Fine Art Category. Estrada made her first short film in 2017 entitled, The Dream, which was selected in Best of Shorts at the Carmel International Film Festival. In 2020, her solo show in Las Vegas was awarded a Certificate of Special Congressional Commendation for the Arts from the United States Congress. Estrada currently lives and works in Los Angeles.