New Books in Philosophy Mariana Ortega, "Carnalities: The Art of Living in Latinidad" (Duke UP, 2024)
Dec 16, 2025
Mariana Ortega, an Associate Professor at Penn State with expertise in philosophy and Latina studies, delves deep into the interplay of art and racialization. She introduces the concept of 'carnal aesthetics,' emphasizing embodied, intimate perceptions. Ortega explores how photography can disrupt conventional views and reshape identities, particularly through the work of artists like Laura Aguilar and Gloria Anzaldúa. Ultimately, she argues that engaging with art can transform our understanding of trauma and community, inviting a profound, affective experience.
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Formative Journey From War To Philosophy
- Mariana Ortega recounts reading Camus, experiencing war in Nicaragua, and discovering Heidegger and Latina feminist thought in grad school.
- These encounters reshaped her philosophical focus toward subjectivity, art, and lived marginalization.
Carnal Aesthetics As Embodied Attunement
- Ortega defines 'carnal aesthetics' as perceptual intimacy across the whole body, not disinterested ocular aesthetics.
- Creative practices born of this attunement help marginalized subjects transform, self-name, and survive hostile environments.
Colonial Gaze As A Habit Of Perception
- Ortega treats the colonial gaze as a habituated, affect-laden perceptual operation that racializes bodies.
- She argues artworks can reconfigure those perceptual-affective habits and reveal racialization's embodied force.