Laura Alvarez

I really enjoyed listening to Laura Alvarez talk about her artwork but more specifically about those who influenced her throughout her life, her parents. Every time I read or see anything in regards to art the only thing displayed is what interests the artists themselves. However, Alvarez doesn’t just show her interests but instead takes her parent’s lives and incorporates that into her artwork. From her art installation titled Double Agent Sirvienta, or DAS for short, one painting that I think represents her parents and herself the most is titled I’m With My Nanny. The nanny represents her mom, who was a nanny, and the bomb, in my opinion, represents her dad who used to work for the military. By placing the nanny in a running stance while holding the baby, it depicts how hard women really work and the fire could represent the harsh conditions that they must sometimes endure. Also, by placing her in such an active stance, Alvarez is giving women the agency they have over their own bodies.

Another very beautiful touch that Alvarez adds to her painting is her representation of the Virgin of Guadalupe in the nanny’s uniform. This best relates to what Blake refers to as Guadalupe being a public expression of identity. By incorporating Guadalupe, Alvarez gives the nanny a Mexican identity. It’s a representation of the working class women as opposed to those in middle class. Alvarez exposes the hard work that working class women of color must face on a daily basis. Moreover, Alvarez uses what Blake calls countermemory in order to depict the nanny as more than just a worker. That is, the nanny has a separate life away from being a worker. Through the Double Agent Sirvienta, Alvarez proved that women are capable of breaking gender norms and are in control of their life.