Questions for Professor Gaspar de Alba

Essay #1 "There's No Place Like Aztlán: Embodied Aesthetics in Chicana Art"


Question 1: In Daniel's Galvez's painting Homegirl #1, it states that this painting is a representation/ optical illusion of the macho image of a homeboy looking at himself. What was Galvez's idea about the homeboy viewing himself in the female's body? And how does this influence or explain Chicano Culture? 
From Reading this essay, I came to an understanding that women were being misrepresented in the CARA exhibition, they were either underrepresented and in the "Feminist Visions" were the only ones to participant. Although this exhibit was held in the 90's it is still disappointing to see that they're wasn't an awareness in Chicano men to understand a Feminist perceptive within their own community. With Daniel Galvez's painting as Chicano is one is suppose to have a sort of awareness to be a Chicano/a? It is sad to see how Women have identified as a Chicana and if they are also to identify as a Feminist they are not considered a Chicana rather a "white wannabe". I was interested in this particular painting Homegirl #1 because of the way Professor Gaspar de Alba spoke about it in the context of this painting being "the homeboy's sexual desire for her". I felt this painting was an example of the male gaze. As a gender studies major we focus on topics similar to these ideas.


Essay 2:  “Out of the House, the Halo, and the Whore’s Mask: The Mirror of Malinchismo”


Question 2: Would you compare the creation of Aztlán to the Virgin of Guadalupe since they were both created about 100 years after a major event/ invasion of territories? 
Within this reading, I found it interesting that the creation of Aztlán was created about 100 years after the invasion of the U.S as the virgin of Guadalupe was created about 100 years after an invasion. Would you compare the importance of these two beliefs to the Chicano/a Culture? I am unfamiliar with the importance of the Virgin de Guadalupe until this class and I had never heard of Aztlán. I was interested in understanding more about their significance for the Chicano/a culture.