Featured Artist: Sandra de la Cruz
Each month, we speak to a different artist about their work, life and inspirations. Here, we talk to BODY&SEX cover artist Sandra de la Cruz, about her obsessions, projects, and her love of pool parties. You'll find Sandra's original Spanish answers after the translated English text.
Your style is very distinctive; full of bodies and streaks of colour. What inspires your work most?
I am inspired by feelings, poetry, and intimate experiences. I like to use complimentary qualities, simple but direct, the elegant and subtle. Although I also play around a lot with opposites: violence against love or sadness against beauty.
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Me inspiran lo sentimientos, la poesía, vivencias íntimas. Me gusta lo simple pero directo, lo elegante y sutil. Aunque también juego muchas veces con opuestos: la violencia contra el amor o lo triste contra lo bello.
How do you go from page to screen – what’s your editing process?
I scan my drawings through and edit them in Photoshop. I enjoy playing around with the digital colour because it's like a game.
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Escaneo los dibujos y lo edito con Photoshop. Me divierte algunas veces darle color digital por que te permite mucho más juego.
What are you working on at the moment – any current obsessions? Where would you like to see your art going in future?
I’m working on some of the most important projects I’ve done so far, but I still cannot make any progress. I am continuing with the promotion of my first book of illustrated poems, ‘Obsidiana’. Apart from several editorial commissions (one for California), covers, personal commissions, tattoos, I’m thinking of some collective and individual exhibitions for this year. Always, of course, I am learning new ways to express myself and expand my personal projects.
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En este moment story trabajando en unos de los proyectos más importantes que he hecho hasta ahora, pero aun no puedo avanzar nada. Sigo con la promoción de mi primer libro de poemas ilustrado, Obsidiana. A parte de varios encargos editoriales (uno de ellos para California), portadas, encargos personales, tattoos... Y pensando en alguna exposición colectiva e individual para este año. Y siempre paralelamente aprendiendo nuevas maneras de expresarme y ampliar mi proyecto personal.
Why do so many of your illustrations of hands, legs, body parts feature the jellyfish motif? (See here & here)
That is the million dollar question and every time I think about it I have a different answer. Artists in general, we are obsessive; the jellyfish was part of a series where I became obsessed with an idea and the way to capture it was in my drawings.
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Es la pregunta del millón y creo que cada vez contesto algo diferente. Los artistas en general, somos obsesivos; la medusa formó parte de una serie donde me obsesioné con una idea y la manera de plasmarlo en mis dibujos era esa. Dibujarla era casi como una expiación.
Tell us three random facts about you
I love poetry and the history of the poet Pedro Salinas. For me, he is the one who most perfectly describes my drawings. I am a freak for any TV series or movie. My other passion is fashion.
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Me encanta la poesía y la historia del poeta Pedro Salinas; es quien más perfectamente describe mis dibujos. Soy una freak de las series y el cine. Mi otra pasión es la moda.
If your art was music, what song would it be?
Something with eroticism but that is also elegant at the same time. I think 'Sexual' by Neiked.
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Alguna que tuviera erotismo pero que fuera elegante, a la vez. Se me ocurre “Sexual” de Neiked.
If you could witness any event past, present, or future, what would it be?
I would love to see how technology has advanced our ways of communicating with each other. Twenty years ago, the things that we do today were unthinkable.
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Me encantaría ver cómo avanza la tecnología y las maneras de comunicarnos entre nosotros. Hace 20 años era impensable cosas que hacemos a día de hoy que parecen cotidianas.
If you could throw any kind of party, what would it be like and what would it be for?
I love pool parties! It would be amazing to make a donation with any money raised. I have participated in several charity events exposing my paintings and it is great to be able to contribute to a worthy cause.
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Me encantan las pool party! Sería genial poder hacer una dónde donar el dinero recaudado. He participado en varios eventos benéficos exponiendo mis cuadros y es genial poder contribuir a alguna causa.
Find out more sandradelacruzart.tictail.com.
Instagram: @_drasan_
