Bohorquez’s images give us windows into memories of people and places so palpable – one can almost hear cars zooming by, smell the smoke billowing from cigarettes and feel the texture of bricks and mortar. Her work is a stunning insight into pockets of the world we may otherwise not see, and Bohorquez reflects that she is “creating a giant archive of how people behave, dress, and interact with each other”.
In her quest to capture human interaction, Bohorquez reminds us of a key human need that has been denied many of us over the pandemic years; physical intimacy. A frame of a couple kissing, their facemasks pulled down to their chins is a stark reminder of the impact physical distance has played in our lives these past three years that hits somewhere deep and inexplicable. This impact extends into Bohorquez’s emphasis on subjects that are so often pushed into the shadows and forgotten, in particular older people. In addition to society’s perceived synonymity between youth and beauty, the pandemic has revealed our perception that older people are expendable (in Australia at least). By centering older folks in her images, displaying the beauty in wrinkles and the power of a lifetime of memories, Bohorquez challenges the growing agism that seeks to make the majesty of getting old invisible.
