Carmen Lomas Garza

I liked a lot of art that Carmen Lomas Garza produced because it manages to evoke strong nostalgia of the past.  I found that many of her art pieces incorporate images of things that I can relate to because they are all tied around religion, family, spirituality, etc.  She manages to capture a lot of the essence of what it means to be of Mexican heritage through her artwork.

Garza created several images which depict a woman referred to as a “curandera,” or a healer.  Although I didn’t necessarily grow up knowing a healer, I did grow up with several home remedies to help cure illnesses.  I remember my mother used to give us these teas and use vapor rub almost religiously to help us overcome fevers and colds a lot quicker.  I was never even sure whether these remedies did work faster or better than over the counter cold medicine, but the belief that there are home remedies to cure illness is something that was passed down from my grandmother, to my mother, and then to myself.

Another thing I noted of many of Garza’s works is the presence of a religious artifact, whether it’s a cross, or a painting of the virgin of Guadalupe, or a saint’s statue.  These are items that are present in my home and they are common to the homes of many Latino families I’ve known as well.  These images are something that brings comfort and denotes our faith in certain ideals and beliefs.