We recently connected with Cherish Marquez and have shared our conversation below.

Cherish, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

My latest project is called “Forage,” which is about food resources and other plants found in the desert. A lot of my work lately has been focused on the ecology of the desert. This particular project focuses on the datura, the mesquite tree, and the prickly pear cactus. The mesquite tree produces mesquite beans which are full of nutrients and were once a vital source of food for indigenous peoples of Mexico and the Southwest. The seeds were crushed to a powder and used to make flour or meal in order to make bread and other items. There are also plants to avoid in the desert, which can be poisonous. The Sacred Datura is toxic to animals, however, this plant can be used for medicinal purposes and was also used for ceremonial purposes by ancient peoples. The Datura can help clear iron and arsenic from the soil through phytoremediation which is the use of plants to clean up contaminated environments. The plants are used for sustenance and cultural practices. Through food, we can reclaim our history, and connect with each other and the land.

Cherish, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

My name is Cherish Marquez (she/they), (b.1989 El Paso, TX, USA) I spent my childhood in Sierra Blanca, TX, and my adult life in Las Cruces, NM. Currently, I live and work in Denver, Colorado. I hold a BA in Fine Arts and Creative Writing from New Mexico State University and an MFA in Emergent Digital Practices from the University of Denver. I am an interdisciplinary artist with a focus on digital media. My work explores environmental justice, mysticism, mental health, queer identities, and healing from generational trauma. My work operates from a queer Latinx perspective and is heavily subjected to speculative futurism.

I became interested in digital art shortly after graduating with my BA. My focus was on photography and creative writing. I was never really good at drawing or painting so I thought I would try to immerse myself in digital art. I studied 3D modeling, Animation, Sound Design, Wearable Technology, Creative Coding, and Game Design. I work with programs such as Maya, Blender, Photoshop, InDesign, After Effects, Affinity Photo, Affinity Design, Unity, Unreal, Final Cut Pro, Divinci Resolve, Max MSP, Arduino, Processing, and Spark AR.

My digital work began to take shape in the form of activism, first creating games highlighting the environmental racism in my hometown. In 1998 a toxic waste dump was proposed to be built near the city of Sierra Blanca, TX which would have polluted the environment and water source of our town. My thesis project focused on creating a game entitled Rio Verde, that took the player through various stages of clearing the land of its toxins using Curanderismo. Curandersimo is a cultural practice used to cleanse the mind, body, and soul focusing on non-Western medicine. My speculative future devised a way to combine these practices with scientific apparatuses to cleanse the land.

During the pandemic, I started to focus on the desert consciousness and how the plants and animals of the land share this awareness of the harm that has been inflicted on it. My series, Voices of the Desert focuses on giving the land a platform and a literal voice through digital animation, AR, digital prints, and a video game. This series was shown at Union Hall in Denver, CO.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

What inspires my creative journey is Environmental Activism, Mysticism, and the healing of the world around me. It is essential for me to create awareness and empathy for the land we live on.

Have you ever had to pivot?

There was a time when I decided to change my career path entirely. I had just graduated and felt defeated by societal pressures to persue a “real job.” I worked for a year in various jobs but would come back to my practice from time to time. I decided to go back to school and pursue my goals as an artist. I do not regret my decision. I take almost every opportunity to show my work and work with the community.

Contact Info:

• Website: http://cherishmarquez.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cherish.marquez/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cherish-marquez-b2b8a057/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/SomeNewMexican
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXnXDC69OZtbk6uJMEPfvZA
• Other: Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/user10341844

Image Credits
Cherish Marquez BMoCA J Amado Photography Erynn McConnell and Raymundo Munoz