Conditions Governing Access
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Biographical / Historical
Preferred Citation
Processing Information
Scope and Contents
Conditions Governing Use
Language of Material:
English
Contributing Institution:
Department of Special Collections and University Archives
Title: Laura Aguilar papers
Creator:
Aguilar, Laura
Identifier/Call Number: M0829
Physical Description:
2.75 Linear Feet
(8 boxes)
Date (inclusive): 1981-1995
Conditions Governing Access
Open for research; material must be requested at least 36 hours in advance of intended use. Selected photographs have been
digitized and are available online: https://purl.stanford.edu/jm174sx1579
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Purchased from Laura Aguilar, 1996.
Biographical / Historical
Laura Aguilar is a photographer whose works are mostly portraits. Professor Chon Noriega of UCLA's Department of Film and
Television writes that Aguilar's work documents "social groups and identities that remain invisible in mainstream culture:
Latina lesbians, black couples, obese people, et al." She cooperates with her subjects so that "her work is not about power
differentials between photographer and subject as is often, if implicitly, the case with...the social documentary tradition."
An autobiographical element is also apparent in Aguilar's work. Art critic Diana Emery Hulick noted that "the circumstances
of [Aguilar's] life are reflected overtly in her art." Aguilar, Hulick wrote, "is large, lesbian, and Chicana, acutely aware
of her separateness, yet comfortable enough with herself to present us with a personal vision that is both intimate and authoritative."
Laura Aguilar was born in west San Gabriel Valley, California in 1959. She has studied in the East Los Angeles Community
College photography program and the Santa Fe Photographic Workshop, among other programs. In 1994/95 she was the recipient
of a California Arts Council Fellowship and in 1991/92 of an Artist's Project Grant from Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions
(LACE). Her work has appeared in exhibits in California, Texas, New York, and Mexico. Collections of her work can be found
at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and the Santa Monica Cultural Affairs Department in Santa Monica, California. Aguilar
lives in Rosemead, California.
Diana Emery Hulick,
"Laura Aguilar,"
Latin American Art 5:3 (1993), 52-54.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], Laura Aguilar Papers, M0829, Dept. of Special Collections, Stanford Libraries, Stanford, Calif.
Processing Information
Processed by Patricia Mazón, 1996 April
Scope and Contents
The Aguilar Papers and Photographs include the personal and professional materials of Laura Aguilar and occupy 2.75 linear
feet. The collection traces through correspondence with mentors and friends both Aguilar's artistic development and her struggle
with dyslexia. Her professional achievements are detailed in the series on exhibitions and published works. The print series
includes original prints of three of Aguilar's photographic series:
Latina Lesbians,
Plush Pony, and
Clothed/Unclothed.
Conditions Governing Use
While Special Collections is the owner of the physical and digital items, permission to examine collection materials is not
an authorization to publish. These materials are made available for use in research, teaching, and private study. Any transmission
or reproduction beyond that allowed by fair use requires permission from the owners of rights, heir(s) or assigns
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Dyslexia.
Hispanic American lesbians.
Mexican American art.
Obesity.
Photography.
Photoprints.
Cuadros, Gilbert.
House, Suda.
Martel, Pat.
Tenneson, Joyce.