ARANDO EL VIENTO (PLOWING THE WIND): finding my other

Abstract

Taking the term “the other” from Michelle de Certeau and others, this thesis explores artist Marta Cruz Sojo’s experiences of "otherness" and is based on her ethnography research in Mexico. Notions of "the other" motivated this thesis and became the main concept that has informed the final piece, a puppet performance made as a culmination of the three year MFA program. The thesis begins with Cruz Sojo's personal story in order to contextualize her thesis process. It continues with the history and theory of puppetry and then presents an analysis of Cruz Sojo's performance Arando el Viento (Plowing the Wind). The thesis concludes by reflecting upon anonymous Mexican voices as a community, and thoughts about how this work might contribute to a greater understanding of “otherness.”