My question for the reading, Out of the
House, is how much effect the Chicano arts had on the public. I understand from
the reading that the arts had been occupied by male artists as the author
mentions CARA exhibition, and the new Chicano arts by female artists including
the feminist view was progressive and a turning point that encouraged the
atmosphere of more freedom and equality. In the sense that Chicano arts
involving the state of women as persons, not only mothers, also addressed broader
aspects of life such as racial identity as well, I imagine that the arts would
have influenced a lot of people, not only the artists, and probably given power
to different types of movements. The unclear thing for me is how the public
responded to the innovative arts because there should have been conflict among
people who support new types of arts and who stick to the old notion such as the
male dominance on society and the tendency to support the ideology.
For the second reading, There’s No Place
Like Aztlan, I would ask why the Chicanas did not ignore the original Chicano arts
which were based on the female subordination and motherhood, and establish
other kind of arts. Besides the reason that they kept the identity to resist
the conquest and assimilation as the author mentions, I think it was also
important to bring the new thought such as gender equality to the history of Chicano
arts which would expand the meanings of the arts in the past. It is interesting
that, while Chicanas keep in mind Aztlan which is the unique and mystic
homeland for Chicanas, the artists can go beyond the ideology and create arts
with more freedom by finding the connection to the idea in the imaginary land.
Week 3 article
ReplyDeleteThe article talks about the race, ethnicity, and class that the Chicanos are oppressed and insulted by the conquest and the force of European ideology. It mentions the history of the people who had been lived before the conquest and who are regarded as inferior races. The people think and their ethnicity for their identity by connecting it to indigenous culture such as God. The Chicano arts also take a role to criticize the reality that the people were taken away their properties and turned into working or inferior class.
The article picks up the work, Guadalupe-Tonantzin by Yalanda Lopez, as an example which implies the cultural identity of Chicanos and also empowerment of women. The use of the God as Guadalupe and mother for all can mean the survival of Mexican ideology which has been neglected or transformed. As the arts of Lopez spread to the paintings of women as Guadalupe, the arts seem to have empowered all of the Chicanos and then the women who were still regarded inferior even within the group.