Rocio De Alba

Conceptual Documentary Photographer

In this developing series, I employ mixed-media concepts to visually chronicle my journey to “radical acceptance of death.” Enlisting scientific and academic approaches, I first embarked on this cathartic endeavor with extensive research of renowned theologians, philosophers, and contemporary artists pursuing healthy dialogues attempting to shift society’s adverse perception of death.

In this quest, I found peace by discovering that although end of life is inevitable, in actuality, multiple components of my body are slowly dying the longer I live! This revelation commenced a healing process that further arouse my intrigue with self-portraiture. Unlike my previous projects, here I integrate macro optics and abstract compositions to illustrate brazen images of my naked body – often in states of extreme grotesque – that document my physical transition, organically produced by the aging process. Working against the male-dominant history of idealized nude portraits of women, these images denounce marginalized dialogues about body shame and death.
 

"...only the young bring anything new. And they don't stay young for long.”