Questions: Out of the House and There's no Place

Whilst reading the article Out of the House, The Halo, and the Whore’s Mask, I found the theme of placement to be key and central to the several arguments presented by Professor Gaspar de Alba. The physical placement of bodies, art and symbolism all seemed to parallel each other in the analysis of the exhibition CARA. The fact that the exhibition wanted to encourage gender diversity and perspectives, yet, decidedly set apart one room only for female painters seems far too obvious of a misstep considering the overarching theme of oppression and empowerment. Although all of the Chicana artists were most likely very moving and important in their own right, I’m curious at what art and or artists Professor Gaspar de Alba would add to the exhibition to make it more well rounded for Chicana feminism?

In my reading of  There’s no Place Like Aztlan: Embodied Aesthetics in Chicana Art, I considered this idea of a “utopia” having several points of significance. One, the idea of a utopia seems utterly personal to me, a utopia varies from person to person depending on his or her values. On the other hand, a cultural myth or folklore can mean a community thought or attitude, which brings people together. Aztlan can be both naturally depending on who is considering it, because technically it is not an actual physical space, yet why are certain folklore or make-believe places or ideas gendered in the larger community dialogue?