Guadalupe Rosales, a multidisciplinary artist and educator, is a pioneer in the reclamation and preservation of overlooked histories. Her community-driven archival projects Veteranas and Rucas and Map Pointz have gained widespread recognition, largely due to her groundbreaking use of social media as a platform to challenge the historical erasure and misrepresentation of Latinx and Hispanic communities in Southern California. These projects, initiated in 2015, have since evolved into vital archives, amplifying narratives often relegated to the margins.
In this issue, Rosales engages in a profound dialogue with Los Angeles-based artist Rafael Esparza, offering an intimate exploration of her creative mind and artistic philosophy. Through her transformative multidisciplinary approach -spanning sculpture, photography, video, sound, drawing, and collaborative community projects—Rosales creates immersive, sensorial spaces that not only awaken memory but also reshape and evoke collective embodiment. Her works inspire viewers to engage with emotions and shared experiences of longing that linger in the body, transforming it into a living archive.
Rosales’ practice asks us to consider the body as a vessel of memory—a dynamic locus that preserves, carries, and reshapes personal and communal histories. Her installations and archives intervene in the linearity of time, uplifting private experiences and making space for them to be shared. By unveiling what is often concealed, she crafts a multidimensional experience that challenges the boundaries of traditional archival practices, keeping the audience engaged and intrigued.
Through her innovative use of diverse mediums and her commitment to collaboration, Rosales conjures spaces where the personal and collective intertwine, reminding us that our histories are not static. They live within us, shaped by our bodies, relationships, and environments a continuum that
her art seeks to honor, transform, and share, making the audience feel included and part of a larger narrative.
written by Rafa Esparza
portrait by Robert LeBlanc
RAFA ESPARZA: If you have an early memory of art that’s meaningful can you describe it? Or What were some of your first experiences of art (experiencing seeing it and making it)? Did or do any of those experiences carry into your present conception of art?
GUADALUPE ROSALES: My work has always been about exploring the world. My world. About curiosity and raising questions. Every morning my sister, mom and I walked to Lorena elementary school in Boyle heights and walked through the housing projects (Estrada Courts) . These projects are decorated with one of the oldest murals in LA. This was my first exposure to art before under- standing what art was. I was so curious and think of these murals often. So now as an artist, I enjoy dissecting Landscapes, history, archives and stories. So in many ways this has carried on in my art practice. Seeing the beauty of my upbringing while acknowledging the tragedies.
RE: Many people know your work, or enter it through Veterans & Rucas archive and within the last few years we’ve started to get to see you work through Installation, sculpture, photography, video, writing and I’d like to include light works into the mix amongst others.
You were an artist before the archive began yet it seems because of how it took off it is often times centered or marks a beginning in your career. Can you speak to that and also use this space to speak to other art you were making alongside Veteranas y Rucas?
GR:When I first began the archival projects. I was committed to teaching it, giving lectures, making the archive accessible and not losing focus. In fact I was very protective about how these histories were being told and who got to tell them. This also meant that the archive is irreplaceable because of its history on its own.
I always wanted to make artworks but not necessarily include the archive in the work unless I had shows specifically about the archive. Then I would show the documents, photos etc. I was never interested in reproducing it or for it to be sold, but what interested me was this idea about memory and how we tell stories.
So I started making work about that. Whether they were altars, installations, sculptures. I spoke about community, love, tragedies, grief,pride. The idea of making artworks grew and didn’t want to neglect that part of my life. I have always found pleasure and joy in making object based work. Most importantly because the archive is material, this also influenced and pushed me to make art works. This to me was an opportunity to materialize storytelling. To materialize memory, celebration, joy, beauty, grief, tragedies.
Its beautiful to see those who I speak with and meet over social media come to my art shows. Art creates that bridge and my work invites those who wouldn’t normally feel like museums or galleries speak to them or about them.
RE: How would you describe your practice as an artist? Do you identify with a particular medium or genre?
GR: I see my work always evolving whether is it the materials that I’m using and the subject I’m tack- ling down. I used to use the term interdisciplinary years back. People have referred to me as a photographer, historian, etc but as of now, I just call myself an artist.
RE: I often think of the challenges it takes to make photographs especially in the advent of popular photo based social media. Does the abundant proliferation of images affect how you see photography? Can you speak to what compels you to photograph?
GR: I have a very cinematic imagination. Yet I am a self taught photographer and faced many challenges to get to where I am with photography. I had all these ideas in my head and knew I needed to build a relationship with the camera in order to capture that essence of my imagination, the city I live in. So all of my photos are based on how I see the world. And I know I’m not alone in this so I try to capture the essence of the night here in East LA. I capture the energy of the night. And there is so much beauty and reality in the crevasses of LA
RE: There is some storytelling in your work most evident through your use of ephemera, whether it’s a newspaper, printed matter, or objects all invoking different memories. Can you talk a little about narrative? Is it important to your work? Is it important you to?
GR: While things sometimes feel cyclical, the world seems to really be going through major shifts. We’re living through unprecedented times that are challenging, difficult and destructive. How do you make in the face of all that? Why make art when the world is asking for so much more? I’m think- ing of the calls to organize for instance, the calls to participate in mutual aid efforts, protest, practice care in ways that don’t benefit the individual. Have you ever questioned where art fits in all this?
RE: I feel like this is the most crucial time to make art. To write books, and be creative. It is just as important to preserve, document etc. Because for a long time our histories have been destroyed, erased, our voices have been muted or killed.
GR: Absolutely. These documents are more than just documents, or paper. They tell stories. The photos take us to a palace that feels sacred and the stories behind these photos are what humanizes them.
RE: What’s your favorite LA spot? We’ve been witness to our city change immensely. What does this change inspire? How does it make you feel? Is Los Angeles a character in your work?
GR: Los Angeles is a place that I see as a relative or boyfriend/girlfriend you love and hate. Lol There are things I love that outweigh the things I don’t like. Los Angeles is home to me. I love Elysian Park, Whittier boulevard but the East Los side closest to Commerce Shopping center and Montebello. This area also has the best Mexican food. NGL.
RE: I’ve said before that I think VyR is one of the most influential projects of our generation. It has inspired us to value our histories, our experiences, our aesthetics, our contributions to culture and so much more. There are plenty more public photo archives that are directly inspired by VyR, your pics are on everyone’s mood boards. Did u ever imagine this kind of impact would come from an art project? What are your hopes and fears for this work or any work.
GR: No never. Honestly I didn’t know how big this would get and how much of an impact it would make in the world. All I knew was that there was a huge piece to the puzzle missing and collective- ly we were going to find this piece. A lot of pages then started to pop up similar as mine. And I have always encouraged others to do the work. I don’t feel like the gatekeeper here but there have been many instances when new pages get super competitive with me. The narrative is “ I can do it better” but my belief is that everyone’s work will have a different meaning and its uniqueness. I don’t ever let hate get in the way of my work. Most of the negative stuff usually comes from men. But I re- mind myself that this work, the archive will always put women in the forefront. Now fashion and their mood boards... This really pisses me off. Specially when I see a photo of someone who passed away tragically and its on some brand’s mood board, it feel so disrespectful.
RE: What’s on the horizon? What’s your dream project?
GR: I keep saying this and I now see how writing a book takes a long time and its a lot of work! I’m writing a book. Coming out 2025!