Camille Rojas
Tkaronto/Toronto based multidisciplinary artist uses movement and the body as the primary vehicle to dissect ideas and emotions.
Camille Rojas, Sothebae’s #6, 16”x20” chromogenic print. 2018.
Camille Rojas is a Tkaronto/Toronto based multidisciplinary artist working with film, photography, and dance. Her work uses movement and the body as the primary vehicle to dissect ideas and emotions, most of which address experiences of gender, race and class within life and the art institution. Using her own presence in her work - sometimes through a persona - offers the opportunity to delve deeper within various concepts whether it is by herself or as part of an ensemble.
AGO: What was the inspiration for this artwork or series?
Camille: The three artworks present are from different projects, but all use movement as the primary tool for my message. Sothebae’s was born out of the absurdity and theatrics of the prestigious art auction house Sotheby’s. System of a Gesture (video still from a 2019 performance for CONTACT Photography Festival) originated from a three channel film installation of the same name, dissecting children’s hand-clapping games and their subtleties of a burgeoning sexuality. Survival of the Fittest was created using analogue photobooth pictures to create a choreography within a confined space - this work focused solely on forms, shapes and the possibility of sequences.
AGO: Tell us about a place or a space where you most love making your work?
Camille: Creatively, I work best in spaces where my body can stretch far and without interruption. A place where I can run and jump across the floor and release any tension. My past projects were created in photography and dance studios that offered this amount of physical space to think and create in. I think because there is such a physical bodily aspect in my work, often involving myself as the performer and camera operator, I need space to help me fulfill these dual roles.
AGO: Are you in dialogue with any other artists or creative peers about your practice? If so, how does this dialogue feed your work?
Camille: Dialogue, whether with creative peers or not, is important in my practice. This way, you listen to different perspectives and histories of others that you may not have considered. While I value the opinions of my creative peers, I can’t forget that some of my best conversations about my work have been with members of the general public: a construction foreman, a human resources manager, a grocer, a chemist and many more outside of the creative field. These conversations have informed the way in which I make images and choreograph performances.
Camille Rojas (b. 1993 Toronto; lives and works in Toronto) is a multidisciplinary artist working with film, photography and dance. She received her BFA in Photography Studies at Ryerson University’s School of Image Arts and has recently exhibited her work at Gallery 44, Gallery TPW, Critical Distance Centre for Curators, Erin Stump Projects and Ryerson image Centre.
Follow Camille @camiillerojas