Week 5: Ester Hernandez

I am choosing to write about Ester Hernandez because her artwork had a powerful impact on me especially her reintepretation of the Sun Maid raisin. The image stirred anger within me about the conditions farmworkers face. Her removal of the letter "I" so the word can be spelled MAD instead of MAID is definitely purposeful and an accurate feeling the image invokes for me. The skeletal depiction of the maid stresses how the poor conditions in the fields are killing her. The maid symbolizes the death of the spirit and soul. She has been given a sole purpose: killing herself to survive not live a "fruit"ful life. Her life is unnatural like the raisins that are grown with insectides, pesticides, miticides, and fungicides. Overall, the theme of the image is death that stems from injustice in the fields.
Furthemore, Ester's use of an iconic image is shocking because the consumer never questions the conditions of the farmworker or at most the origins of where the raisins are grown. Personally, my passion for health stems from my mother's inablity to stay balanced since her low sociocencomic status forces her to work beyond her capacity in poor conditions. My mother's trials and tribulations motivate me to make the world more just. Thus, Ester's Hernandez's motivation for creating art that prompts emotion and questions from the audience is very powerful. She is a true political artist that needs to be celebrated.