Barbara Carrasco: "Milk the Pass"

Barbara Carrasco is a Chicana artist who incorporates her feminist views into her works. Carrasco is skilled with the ability to include traditional and personal concepts into one image. "Milk the Pass", 1990 shows a glass jar filled with milk and a woman emerging out of it with steam coming out of her mouth. This is a comedic piece because, I too have heard of that idea where if you are a true "Mexican" you must be able to eat Jalapeños like it is nothing. I was able to connect to this because the image displays an individual, visibly torturing herself to prove that she is a true Chicana. From my understanding, she is incorporating her cultural struggle by showing how she is placed in situations where she must prove herself to be recognized in her culture. In my culture, we have similar concepts and it is quite interesting to hear how certain things can make you true to your culture. For example, a true Armenian man must be able to make the best kebabs one has ever tasted. Unfortunately, not all Armenian men are skilled with the ability to make the best barbecue. Through her art she is able to critique the cultural, gender-related, and political roles that ones culture places upon them. I think that this is a unique skill because it allows the viewers to connect to the images on a personal basis. Although I am not a Chicano individual the presentations done by my classmates have allowed me to see the works of Chicana Artist's that I have never heard from before. I enjoy how every artist has a unique method of incorporating a message within there artistic renditions of an object.