Week 5: Laura Aguilar

The presentation on Laura Aguilar was very inspirational. The idea of body image and self-esteem is a huge topic in American culture and I feel that it is important to acknowledge that there is not the ideal body image. What attracted me to Aguilar’s art is the fact that she is learning to be comfortable in her own body and that she finds beauty in herself. Apart from her disabilities she her art work is different from anything that I have seen. Aguilar takes these pictures in the outdoors where anyone can see her. Laura Aguilar is accepting her beauty and the audience can see that she is really accepting it and not just saying she is. The other reason why I admire Laura Aguilar’s work is because she is the main subject in all her work. Laura showed strength and courage by revealing her bare body in front of the camera.  The piece that I found to be very interesting is the Three Eagles Flying. I liked how it showed her the mixture of the Mexican and American flag.  By Laura placing herself in the center of the two flags I noticed that she is showing herself being tied by the two cultures. Laura is expressing the pressures of abiding to these two cultures but I feel that by Laura revealing her breasts and covering her face she is proving that yes she is apart of these two cultures but she is not going to follow the expected norms of society.  This photo shows courage but also can send a universal message for all people. I enjoy that Aguilar’s works can be interpreted in many ways.