Laura Alvarez

This week we were given the opportunity to listen to a multi talented artist; Laura Alvarez, lecture and speak about her life’s work. What made Alvarez such an interesting lecturer and speaker was watching her talk about all the restrictions she faced in her life and how she used them to positively influence her work. I loved that she has been developing her main character Double Agent Sirvienta for over 20 years and that she is not only using one type of art to portray her. Alvarez’s use of multiple mediums, role play, and music only further opens up the possibilities to make Double Agent Sirvienta more realistic. I also love that Alvarez does not set any boundaries for herself. She expresses herself in every form of expression possible. My favorite piece is “Transformation in the Garden” because of the suicide method printmaking she used. It also shows the double agent in action as the maid and agent in one. She has a headset on and is in a peculiarly nice outfit for a maid, which is what Alvarez would do when she would go to work with her mother. It also has a sense of mystery, which makes it even more interesting to look at because you begin to look for clues to her identity.