PAULA PAULA
When I walked into Paula Martinez’s art show at the Lost Origins Gallery, I was met with a Mexican Coke and a vintage tv set that had images of words and floating eyes. Paula’s smile, metallic eyeshadow, and two dimples greeted me with immense warmth and brightness—inviting me to put up my jacket, sip my Coca-Cola, and engulf myself in her artistic interpretations of Donna Haraway’s essay “A Cyborg Manifesto.” Throughout her installation, I was able to travel through different sensory experiences—using headphones to listen to a muffled voice deconstructing points from “A Cyborg Manifesto,” watching eyes with makeup bounce across a small tv screen, figuring out “Am I a Cyborg?” using interactive pamphlets, and soulfully feeling the light within the room begin to brighten with each supporter who entered the space. A truly sensory experience, Paula has the ability to bring light into people’s lives and into her work. Meeting in the dim lighting of Battelle Atrium, I was able to talk life, race, art, and identity with Paula to understand how she navigates life as an artist and as a person. Making simple things beautiful, she is one of the few who can inspire and challenge people with her work. All while being incredibly humble and loving at the same time.
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