Meet the vegan Artist: Isabella La Rocca
I’m an artist, teacher, and activist. I started studying photography in college as a Fine Arts major and have pursued it ever since. I started teaching art and photography while getting my MFA in photography and have been teaching ever since. I’ve always thought of myself as a proponent of social justice, and in the last 10 years or so I’ve become much more active in the animal liberation movement. I’m so lucky to be able to spend my time doing something meaningful that I love.
My constant companion for the past 14 years has been my dog, Lulu, who I adopted from the Hayward Animal Shelter. Ever since she was a puppy we have both enjoyed regular visits to the dog park together. Dogs are such beautiful beings, so athletic and exuberant! So of course, I wanted to find a way to express their grace and their energy.
That’s a difficult question to answer. The way I feel about any particular piece shifts so much! Sometimes I’m all excited about something at first and then it fades, and sometimes I have to live with something awhile and then I start to love it. I really love working on this series though - when I look at the pictures I smile inside the way I do when I’m at the dog park.
Most definitely! We had a lively conversation at Sanctuary Bistro at the “Meet the Artist” eventI We were able to speak with people who hadn’t thought much about our relationship with non-human animals, and address many of the questions and concerns people have when they first consider a world free of animal slavery, which seems like a radical idea in a society that still accepts speciesism. And they loved the delicious food that does not involve exploiting animals. It’s been great to show these pieces at Sanctuary Bistro and have them seen by people who are open to the message or might be, especially because the food is so yummy.
My parents are immigrants and we moved a lot when I was a kid. Though I usually found a way to fit in or at least not stick out too much at school, I felt most at home with books. The thing I love about reading is how it sparks our imagination, how we develop vivid pictures in our minds in response to the words. I also loved music and dance, so I knew at a young age that I wanted to be an artist.
The Dog Park series has given me an opportunity to connect more deeply with people about their dogs. People are so proud of their dogs and love them as part of the family - it’s great for me to see such inter-species love! For the past year, I’ve also been working on a project called TESTAMENT that has included photographing animals raised for food. It has confirmed what I already knew to be true - that all sentient beings deserve to be safe and loved. As Philiip Wollen stated so perfectly, “In their capacity to suffer, a dog is a pig is a bear is a boy.”
At my website www.glissi.org. I also have a photographic blog, a kind of visual notebook: http://glissi. I currently have some work in a show in Cleveland! I also post upcoming shows on my website blog: http://www.glissi.org/blog/
My values are so closely aligned with Sanctuary Bistro’s! I am convinced that if humans want to thrive on this planet, we must learn to live in harmony with all animals, human and non-human. Using animals for food, clothing, research, or entertainment is the cause of the immense suffering and slaughter of hundreds of billions of land and sea animals. The people who work in animal agriculture are among the most egregiously exploited. Animal agriculture is associated with cancer, heart disease, diabetes, obesity and other diseases. The health benefits of a plant-based diet are well documented. And animal agriculture is one of the leading causes, if not the leading cause, of climate change, deforestation, ocean acidification, and the current sixth mass extinction event. I love that Sanctuary Bistro is spreading the message through exquisitely delicious food and by contributing to animal sanctuaries - sanctuaries are so important for helping people to see animals as individuals who deserve to live and be safe. Our shared values are at the core of all of my work.
Just get in touch! I donate the profits from much of my work to sanctuaries and animal liberation organizations.
I just want to thank you and all animal advocates for having the courage to stand up, even when it’s not welcome or popular, for those who have been exploited and silenced. I have no doubt that we will live to see animal liberation become a reality. |