Carmen Lomas Garza

I chose this image to write about on the blog because out of pure coincidence, I happen to be working on a piece that happens to deal with the same subject. In the book, there are two of the same pieces in different mediums, and Garcia uses them to discuss some of the new tools and experiments that Garza was involving in her processes during the time, transitioning back and forth from her traditional gouache to lithography. Overall, it allows no in depth interpretation, discussion, or memory source to the piece, but I can imagine that she made this piece through a similar process as most of her narrative paintings (memories, details such as fashion, expressions, etc).  Upon finishing up the book, I flipped the pages and found myself to be related to Carmen in a weird, psychological way because I was working on a brawl scene as well, that I was thinking of calling "Peleoneras". It was so weird... I was weirded out by how just the fact of having Mexican heritage can lead to images that stand in for collective experiences that had an impact on our psyches and curiosity. In other words, these women fighting out on the streets took me back to several experiences I've been through in which both women and men become very aggressive and violent, and cause a spectacle in public. The experiences were always kinda scary but exciting at the same time; when it happened some cheered, children cried, other people tried to stop them, and dozens were glued to their windows at home. People would talk about it for days and pick sides and it just became such a performative process in my brain after thinking about it awhile. Her work always has a childlike perspective, that is descriptive of everything and everyone, from what they are preoccuipied with, to their reaction to the central points of action. Jealousy, awe, concern, carelessness, and over all curiosity fills the expression of the figures' faces. That's something I think is really important to her work, and its inspired me to attempt to pay special attention to the expression on my figures' faces, because they really do dictate the meaning and interpretations of the pieces. (Even though we have super different styles of painting) Overall, its exciting to think that two artist have the same visual narratives in different style and meaning because they are situated in a different place and time, but how one can still draw parallels in the work, and reflect upon one's own experiences too.