Fractured Innocence: Marissa Delano Confronts the Violence Beneath ‘Depraved Family!!!!!’

The exhibition is on view at Third Born in Mexico City until May 25.

Photography by Asistencia Artistica

For artist Marissa Delano, Depraved Family!!!!! is not only an exhibition but a raw encounter with perceptions of memory and power. Built from the emotional weight of personal experience, her work offers no clear resolution. Instead, ambiguity and contradiction take center stage. In her constructed environment, the idea of discomfort is a privileged status that reaches its full transformative power, in part, by implicating the viewer in their own act of looking through fractured materials, engraved glass, and suggestive peepholes.

Uninterested in spectacle, Delano’s work prioritizes what happens after the gaze, when the viewer is left alone with their own assumptions on desire. It’s intentionally raw, refusing polish, yet rooted in critical research and deep personal reflection. Delano’s work makes clear: this is not autobiography but collective inquiry. Circumventing typical tropes of narrative to expose inherent limitations on gendered experience, this is not a performance of pain but an offering of presence.

Delano spoke with 1202 MAGAZINE about how she expands on these complexes and the deeply intimate terrains of her premier solo exhibition, Depraved Family!!!!!!, that aims to address what lies beneath the surface. Her language speaks for itself—raw, deliberate, and wholly her own. The exhibition is on view at Third Born in Mexico City until May 25.

Do you believe innocence is inherently fragile, or is its fragility a product of societal construction? How does this fragility intersect with how society perceives and values women?

I do think ‘innocence’ is a social construct, and socially constructed concepts tend to benefit those in power. Innocence versus sexual shame? Natural innocence? Pure innocence? Being perceived as an innocent person or as an innocent woman seems dubious at best.

How do you interpret the tension between purity and decay in your work? Do you see decay as an inevitable outcome of societal expectations or as a form of rebellion?

I’ve thought more about cuteness and consumption as they pertain to sexual desire or ambivalence. I’m sort of a theory whore but I like to diffuse elements of high and low as much as possible. I guess the high-brow aspect—Lauren Berlant, Samuel Delany—that’s my own personal rebellion...to my white trash roots.

Do you think the concept of innocence is weaponized against women? If so, how does this manipulation shape female identity across different stages of life?

I wouldn’t say weaponized. Innocence is one conceit of many, under a culture dominated by patriarchy. On my 18th birthday, I started stripping at a small club near my high school. There were those clients who sought the youngest girls. They pretended we were even younger still. But in the dark rooms, their eyes glazed over. Like ‘Okay, why am I even here?’ It became clear that I was a vehicle for their projection. It was a useful lesson, although one I sort of knew already. As a young girl, or any subject category ‘other,’ you become familiar with a split consciousness. Being objectified gives the uncanny ability to see yourself from both split perspectives. The same thing happens when women age—but instead of the desired object, you become invisible. I do think it’s a fucked situation obviously and totally unfair. But it's true. There are certain benefits to being ‘outside’ and thinking differently as a result of those experiences.

Photography by Asistencia Artistica and Courtesy of Third Born

What does ‘loss of innocence’ symbolize to you beyond the literal sense? Is it more about liberation, transformation, or a loss of control?

Loss of innocence, in my view, is a fantasy. Fantasies are fun except when you’re an unknowing participant in one.

Is there freedom in embracing imperfection, decay, and fragmentation? Do you see this as a way of reclaiming autonomy over one’s own narrative?

Yeah, for sure, especially fragmentation. I mean, is there any one person who can tell the entire story of their life? I’m in the Brontez Purnell camp of, ‘memoir is fiction.’ Reclaiming autonomy over narrative or anything else, really, requires economic stability. Attempting to write or make art in poverty is nearly impossible. It’s not glamorous at all.

In a world where the surveillance of women is both overt and subtle, how can art disrupt that gaze? Do you see your work as an act of defiance or exposure?

I’m not sure the role of an artwork is to disrupt. I think people are responsible for that. I guess I’m cautious of any arts movement or individual person who claims to disrupt. Vaginal Davis is the only artist who comes to mind. I mean, she chose her name as a nod to Angela Davis. But no, I really don’t see my work as defiant. I’d like people to come to their own conclusions rather than prescribe something to them.

Do you believe that breaking away from societal ideals of innocence can lead to a deeper, more authentic form of self-expression?

Yes, absolutely—breaking away from societal norms is the most sensible thing someone can do. It saved my life anyway. If someone claims to be innocent (or nice)—run!

What does liberation look like in the context of your work? Is it a quiet rejection of societal standards or an overt, unapologetic redefinition of femininity?

Right now, the primary focus is on incest. So, it feels far from liberation. My aim is to distill difficult concepts into ‘attractive’ minimalist works. And with Depraved Family!!!!!!, much of the work was found and made in situ at the gallery. I’m not so interested in redefining femininity, but I do play with materials that reference tropes in that genre: glitter, stickers, nail decals, and ribbon; ‘Girly’ things. Sometimes rejection and embrace are in close proximity.

What fears, if any, do you confront when exposing these raw and uncomfortable themes? When you look back at the Depraved Family!!!!!! in the future, what do you hope the lasting conversation around it will be?

It’s interesting, I don’t see the themes in Depraved Family!!!!!! as uncomfortable. I take comfort in transparency. Like having shit out in the open just feels less scary. There is a lot of myself in the work, but it’s by no means autobiographical. Heterosexual incestuous fantasies are taboo, yes. But they’re also wildly popular, on a global scale. Banal aspects of daily life—like watching porn—are ripe with latent effects and anxieties. But conversations on abuse, sexual deviance, and violence are important ones to have, and I hope we can.