Marylu E. Herrera
Marylu E. Herrera, a graphic artist originally from Chicago, IL, resides in Boston, MA. She is in her final year at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts University. Throughout her time in undergrad, she quickly embraced new mediums like printmaking and other forms of print media. Her recognition in the 2016 Graphic Annual Award show for her print on demand book Me Voy lead to the SMFA at Tufts and Tisch libraries purchasing copies for their collection.
Inspired by her internship as a graphic artist at a mental health organization in 2015, her work stems from the battle of how to create a visual identity of mental health. Herrera’s evolution through graphic arts allows her to conceptually introduce her perspective on mental health through the use of collage and photography, as a way to explain the difficult feelings and relationships of mental health.
Color is not often perceived when we think about mental health. However, I think it is the best way to embrace and push the conversation into our everyday lives. While working in a non-profit mental health organization as a graphic artist, there was no push for color and composition. By looking at the conversation of mental health as a spectrum, suicide and depression would be at one end, and the other far end would be Happiness/"Cured". Throughout my time designing and investigating mental health organizations, these far ends of the spectrum were the only mentioned to their audiences. No one talks about the middle spectrum of mental health and how many are living with anxiety and depression daily. Trying to describe these emotions to others is hard. By using photographs and collages, I try to encapsulate my reactions while experiencing panic attacks, anxiety, and depression.
Through the use of fashion magazines, images that initially are used to sell clothing, become the vessel through color and repetition to emulate something else they were not intended for. Constructing these collage compositions creates a new opportunity and platform for these images to initiate a discussion about mental health and help visualize my experience to others. As these works unfold my personal reflection, they also take inspiration from Day of the Dead alter boxes (Nichos), that are made from mixed media and traditionally combine elements from Catholicism, spirituality, and pop culture. By merging my digital hand into collages and photographs, I balance different elements to push humor and vibrancy. Using color pushes mental health perception, which is typically associated with dark colors, and it opens up reflection and dialogue of how we should discuss mental health. The works that I produce, while meditative in the process, show my relationship and perspective with anxiety and how I manage it within my day to day life.