[Fotoescultura Portrait of a Woman]

As the name suggests, a fotoescultura is a photograph transformed into a sculptural object. To create these cross-media artworks, a hand-painted portrait photograph was adhered to a carefully carved mount and surrounded by a wooden frame. The compound form of the fotoescultura represents not only a combination of media but also a melding of multiple traditions. Blending vernacular photography with the sculptural quality, hand painting, and framed structure of votive religious imagery popular in Mexico, the fotoescultura invited interaction and veneration.