Michelle Mendieta Mean

Mendieta’s practice explores themes of intimacy, queerness and the complexities of human connections. The ‘Hedgehog’s Dilemma’ is a series inspired by Rene Magritte’s painting of ‘The Lovers’. The photographs depict two men nude from the waist up wearing masks constructed out of black latex and metal spikes that create a barrier between them. The title ‘Hedgehog’s Dilemma’ references philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer’s metaphor comparing humans to hedgehogs (and porcupines). The work is about a paradox of intimacy where humans desire closeness and intimacy in the same way hedgehog’s crave warmth in the winter months, but just as hedgehog’s spikes can prick each other, individuals must maintain a distance to prevent the risk of harm.

Queer Portraits series, 2024. ‘Queer Portraits’ is a project centred on conversations regarding queer representation with a focus on community building through portraiture. Through this series I connect with and share the individual stories of other LGBTQ+ people living in England many of whom are close friends and people who I’ve met over the years in queer spaces. These intimate portraits locate queer individuals in the private sphere of the home and explores the multiple ways queer individuals exist. One such portrait features a friend called Sandro who I first met whilst documenting the queer rave ‘Riposte’ in London. Sandro is a non-binary trans-femme individual pursuing a PhD in Psychology and career in stand up comedy. Through this series, I aim to not only capture portraits about being queer, but delve into the multifaceted identities of these individuals, including their journey of embracing fitness, tattoos and sexuality as a means to address living with an autoimmune disability that caused Sandro partial paralysis in 2020. These portraits are about aspects that are integral to Sandro’s self; exercise, their “wounded and healing body” and how these facets interact with their queerness. Through utilising the slow and considerate method of large format 4x5 film photography, I prioritize the art of forming connections with my friends, often spending hours at their homes, sharing an evening together to learn more about each other. This is not only crucial for the photographs created, but I consider the time spent together to be an equally important outcome. I aim to demonstrate the diversity of queer existence and present stories that transcend the boundaries of identity, to offer insight into the richness and beauty of forging new friendships and sharing human experiences.

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