L.A. magnificence rituals: For Sebastian Hernandez, magnificence doesn’t occur with out ugliness

A pores and skin, hair or make-up routine isn’t only a pores and skin, hair or make-up routine. We dived deep into the sweetness rituals of artists and aestheticians throughout L.A., and in flip realized extra about their relationships to themselves and the world round them. A magnificence ritual is as a lot private as it’s a portal: to raised variations of ourselves, to raised variations of the longer term. For Sebastian Hernandez — a inventive director, efficiency artist, conceptual artist, mover and DJ who runs the get together You Los Angeles — magnificence doesn’t occur with out ugliness. For Hernandez, this dichotomy is greatest performed out in a mattress, incorporating parts of the earth. As they put it, magnificence is “subjective but additionally not true. It’s mythic and fantasy.” Hernandez can be displaying a brand new efficiency work, “Echo,” for the Efficiency Artwork Museum on Oct. 15.

I used to be having a very exhausting time being part of the shoot, in a way, as a result of I used to be like, “Is that this some factor that I imagine in? Do I even take into consideration myself as having a magnificence ritual?” I used to be born and raised in Los Angeles so I really feel the approach to life right here that I’ve gravitated towards is already embedded with so many unconscious magnificence rituals: figuring out, discovering one thing to put on each different weekend. Possibly it’s additionally cultural too. I’m Mexican, and my dad and mom have at all times been people who simply actually wish to dress.

I used to be having to sit down down and be like, “OK, what’s it that you just do?” One factor I’m beginning to afford myself extra now, as I’m getting older, is extra sleep and specializing in with the ability to relaxation and nap. It felt prefer it was a really juicy web site for the issues that I needed to speak about: mattress and relaxation, the picture of my physique resting, and it having a couple of easy interpretation. I introduced in a component of earth, which is the clay that we used, and we introduced in some flowers. I performed with this concept of find out how to convey this message. I hearkened it again to, “What is definitely lovely? And do I imagine in it?” Did people applicable the time period lovely from nature to solid it upon itself? Possibly nature was truly the unique fantastic thing about the world.

I began to consider magnificence in that means, and the way nature is serene, nevertheless it may be violent in its pure means. This idea of ugly and delightful. I pushed it somewhat additional — simply as a lot as I need to relaxation and for that to be some recuperative, generative ritual that can assist me look lovely, the mattress can be the positioning of numerous contemplation in regards to the world and the issues which are taking place exterior my protected place. I’m in my mattress quite a bit, and I’m laughing generally on Twitter [now known as X]. It’s loopy — you’re scrolling and also you’re laughing at tweets, however then the following tweet can be folks self-immolating in response to the genocide of Palestinian folks, or the gamut of issues on the border. It’s by no means ending. There’s a phenomenal and an unsightly, mild and darkish idea in mattress for me. Once I was excited about this picture, I used to be excited about Palestine and simply the interconnected net of imperialism to oppression and genocide. Additionally, the wrestle of Indigenous folks all internationally, together with Mexico and Oaxaca, throughout borders and migrants typically looking for peace and security anyplace on this planet.

Once I appeared again on my life and my upbringing, I had a contrived affiliation with magnificence as a result of I didn’t see myself within the media rising up. The wonder side hasn’t been some factor that’s been straightforward. I grew up in a Mexica Indigenous tribe circle referred to as Xipetotec, led by Lazaro Arvizu. Initially, I used to be not excited. My dad and mom compelled me and my sister to hitch the group with them. There was some inside type of self-hate, cultural hate in some methods. I used to be born into the Mormon church, so there was that colonialism taking place in my consciousness, on prime of self-hate due to repression of my sexuality. All these items have been an enormous a part of being a first-generation Mexican American. There was additionally bullying after I was in center college that occurred for not solely my sexuality, my femininity, but additionally my pores and skin coloration. Going again to Xipetotec, I really feel like that’s an essential a part of my core, my identification and understanding of my very own connection to Indigenous tradition. Additionally, the preservation of my folks and my ancestors in right now’s society, the place we’re as Indigenous folks, our sovereignty and the way we share land with different folks which were displaced on their very own.

Magnificence is subjective but additionally not true. It’s mythic and fantasy. With reference to society and instances that we’re in, the way in which I’m feeling is that there’s no magnificence on this planet proper now. There’s by no means been peace, there’s at all times been colonization, it’s at all times been a combat and a wrestle and violence. I’ve the privilege to sit down and assume and be an artist and put my greatest foot ahead and provide one thing that can make folks assume in another way in regards to the world. Possibly magnificence is sooner or later, and I can’t await magnificence to truly be right here.

Inventive route Sebastian Hernandez
Hair & make-up Tanya “Nena” Melendez
Prop styling Synthea Gonzales
Manufacturing Mere Studios