Class Reflection

As a kid, I watched as my mom painted and drew with total and utter freedom - it was the one aspect of her life that my machista father did not control and manipulate. That, to me, was awesome; it was what it was, nothing more, nothing less. 

In studying Chicana artists, we learned about a lot of images that focused on strong female motifs; this is what I appreciate most about this course. Though I have taken several Chicano courses over the years, I never anticipated studying female art and I never expected to enjoy it so much. Granted, I fell sick and battled with my health throughout this quarter - but, that's not to say that I didn't take a lot from my own research on artists and their respective techniques.

This class taught me about different mediums, perspectives, and interpretations of art; since I can remember, painting and drawing have been an integral part of my childhood and growth, but it wasn't until this quarter that I realized how important it is to so many different socio-economic and political cultures. Besides learning new techniques to use in my own art, I learned that it is possible and imperative to expand the influences, inspirations, and messages that go into it.  Celia Herrera Rodriguez did not readily identify her work as political, though I argue that it was, in fact, very political; she believed in reclaiming our Xicana identity by educating ourselves, and others, on our Indigenous roots. For that reason, she was a self-proclaimed Xicana, not Chicana, paying tribute to Nahuatl. Then, there were artists that embodied Chicana/o politics more obviously - those who manipulated iconic images to provoke thought and insight. 

To our Profesora: thank you so much for taking the time to develop and teach this course. Needless to say, I am very excited to continue learning from you in the following quarters. To my classmates: please feel free to reach out to me if you'd like to talk art, or just in general.