Carmen Lomas Garza

 In Carmen Lomas Garza by Constance Cortez states that a lot of her paintings are enthused by childhood memories “that celebrate her everyday activities and traditions of her family and her community”(Cortez, 1). She gives three images that have been inspired by past memories but one example that caught my attention was La Feria en Reynosa, 1987. It is a gouache on cotton paper, 20x28 inches. This colorful and lively image was based on the time when Garza went to a fair with her friends in Reynosa, a town near the Mexican border. She depicts three booths that seem to be selling goods brought from Mexico. There are merchants, musicians, parents and children crowding the image and each person is frozen in time in their own little world. Much like a photograph except this painting has much more symbolism within it because Garza painted each memorable detail by hand. Cortez argues that the signs on the refreshment booths offer the idea of cultural hybridity, a reoccurring theme found within her works. I really liked the term cultural hybridity mentioned by Cortez because, from what I understood, it exemplifies the typical lifestyle Garza most likely lived in, being from conservative Texas and having Mexican descent. This painting of her trip with her friends reaffirms her dual cultural practice.