Paz is a visual artist whose work and teaching explores the labor of lens-based production as a collaborative site where the intersections of the image-idea and lived experience are produced and contested. Their work has been exhibited nationally and internationally, among them Fábrica de Arte Cubano in Havana, Hayward Gallery in London, NYC Media Lab, and at Chicago’s Gene Siskel Film Center and Museum of Contemporary Art. Paz's project Arte No es Fácil received The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Connection grant in addition to support from The Open Practice Committee and a University of Chicago Arts grant. New work has been developed at many residencies including The Studios of Key West Artist Residency, Chicago Artist Coalitions’ Hatch Residency, The Luminary in St. Louis, MO, ACRE Artist Residency in Wisconsin, and 8550 in Ohio.

 

Oftentimes artists are motivated by what is most urgently needed in their world. Revolution, justice, peace and quiet, and community; artists have a way of sifting through the gnarled world and opening a door to reveal their insights. This composition class is designed to explore and deconstruct this kind of reflexive writing praxis. Through a collaborative lens, we will chew on Post-Modern writing that challenges patriarchal structures; deconstruct old forms to configure new ones, and in the process lean into experimental modes of writing and dialogic inquiry. 

 

Students will draw inspiration from critical writing, contemporary prose, poetry, narrative and non-narrative text, interviews, and lectures that explore themes including critical race theory, gender, nationality, and belonging. Students will be asked to complete various independent research and writing assignments to consolidate writings into an experimental zine publication. This course will ideally challenge students to think outside of rote writing practices, to engage in other lives with new eyes, make responsible or wildly irresponsible decisions, and be ok with figuring out who they are in relation to others.