Javiera Estrada’s photographic series Back to the Future: Life in Technicolor exalts nature and primordial traditions, using saturated, surreal, and vivid hues to evoke the hyper-pigmented virtual worlds that captivate our attention in the digital age. Modern life, characterized by increased time spent indoors, a heavy reliance on electronic devices and reduced exposure to nature, contributes to what journalist Richard Louv terms "Nature Deficit Disorder." This condition manifests in various physical and emotional disturbances, along with adminished use of the senses and attention difficulties. Revolting against the stark contemporary digital space, the artist has chosen to shoot Back to the Future: Life in Technicolor on film cameras using experimental film techniques. The landscapes were primarily shot in Yellowstone National Park, where the oldest rocks are 2.7 billion years old. Estrada believes that by going back in time to embrace the wisdom and traditions of our ancestors—through rituals, community bonding and immersing our spirits in nature— we can embark on a journey of healing and connection, creating a healthier, brighter future for us all.
Multi-media artist, Javiera Estrada (b. 1981, Acapulco) immigrated to the United States in 1989. Estrada's broad scope of work, which includes photography, mixed media, photograms, film, and textiles is influenced by her memories of growing up in Mexico—a tropical paradise of vibrant colors, steeped in spiritual ritual and magical realism. She examines the theme of interconnected consciousness in a multitude of ways. From incorporating female bodies as sculptural forms in organic communion with nature, to creating galactic primordial environments with inks—fluid and formless, structures representing the “prima materia,” original essence of existence. The juxtaposition of shadow and light play a recurring role in Estrada’s explorations as well, representing the internal struggle between the spiritual and the physical.
Estrada has exhibited throughout the United States, with Back to the Future: Life in Technicolor being her San Francisco debut exhibition. She has also shown in London, Germany, Switzerland, China and Singapore. In 2020, her solo show in Las Vegas received a Certificate of Special Congressional Commendation for the Arts from the United States Congress. Recently, she was commissioned to create a site-specific piece for the University of St. Gallen in Switzerland. She currently lives and works in Los Angeles.
Multi-media artist, Javiera Estrada (b. 1981, Acapulco) immigrated to the United States in 1989. Estrada's broad scope of work, which includes photography, mixed media, photograms, film, and textiles is influenced by her memories of growing up in Mexico—a tropical paradise of vibrant colors, steeped in spiritual ritual and magical realism. She examines the theme of interconnected consciousness in a multitude of ways. From incorporating female bodies as sculptural forms in organic communion with nature, to creating galactic primordial environments with inks—fluid and formless, structures representing the “prima materia,” original essence of existence. The juxtaposition of shadow and light play a recurring role in Estrada’s explorations as well, representing the internal struggle between the spiritual and the physical.
Estrada has exhibited throughout the United States, with Back to the Future: Life in Technicolor being her San Francisco debut exhibition. She has also shown in London, Germany, Switzerland, China and Singapore. In 2020, her solo show in Las Vegas received a Certificate of Special Congressional Commendation for the Arts from the United States Congress. Recently, she was commissioned to create a site-specific piece for the University of St. Gallen in Switzerland. She currently lives and works in Los Angeles.