I love your series Patas de Gallo. The photographs are beautiful and highly aestheticized, with an element of black humor. These qualities detach the roosters from the context of cockfighting. How did you come to photograph the series this way?

While attending an artist’s residency in Mexico City last January, I decided to take portraits of these gaffs or cockspurs attached to rooster’s feet. I planned to remove any context and print the portraits larger than life size, so they would become mysterious, monstrous and alien. The intention was to give the images a fictional or fantastic quality in order to engage the audience before they were hit with it’s implicit brutal reality.

Since I was more interested in the objects than witnessing any actual fights, I decided to research and track down the farms where roosters are raised and trained, rather than see the tournaments. It was in fact quite difficult to find galleros (rooster farmers) who would trust and open their doors to me. Initially, I encountered a lot of suspicion and apprehension - worrying about my agenda. I am certainly against animal cruelty and not a proponent of this ‘sport’ but I nevertheless wanted to approach the galleros in a respectful manner and visit their farms to observe rather than to judge - as much as is possible. Also, I feel that being female possibly made me less threatening. As a trade, I offered to take portraits of the farmers with their favorite rooster in exchange for taking the photos of the roosters’ legs wearing the cockspurs.

What interested you about this particular subject?

About 12 years ago, I stumbled upon these gaffs or cockspurs in a cock fighting supply shop during a trip to Tijuana, Mexico. I was intrigued and fascinated by these extraordinary objects - tiny knives with elaborate ornate encasings often handmade and personalized— so beautiful but with such a disturbing connotation.

3. You visited “galleros”, or cockfighting farmers, to make the work. Can you talk about that experience? What did you learn?

The farms I visited were of varying sizes, one had around 400 roosters — others only 4. As a prized bird, the roosters are seemingly well-cared for. Almost treated like royalty. They are given a specific diet and are kept separately in exercise yards where they can build strength. While training, instead of knives, they sport a safety gaff on their spur which is similar to a boxing glove in order to prevent injury.

The photos were not taken during a fight nor during training. The gallero only showed me how the gaffs are attached to the legs. And then I took the close up photographs you see in my series. None of the birds were injured during this process.

I also discovered that there is a huge industry around cockfighting featuring monthly magazines and catalogues with many different commercial manufacturers of the gaffs and cocksurs. One can purchase supplies at veterinarian shops.

4. I can see your background in sculpture in your photographs. Your subjects across multiple photography projects look very constructed and surreal. How has working three-dimensionally translated to working photographically for you?

I am always seeking the unexpected in real world settings. Readymades and humor are a big part of my vision, which has always been apparent both in my sculptural work as well as now with photography. Instead of creating or building something from scratch, I research, explore and seek out existing objects, gestures and spaces. As the camera itself can manipulate, reframe, and re-envision the subject, it continually inspires new perspectives on what sculpture can be and the play between 2 and 3 dimensions.