Melanie Cervantes

I would describe Melanie Cervantes' style at spunky and bold. As for her art, daring and honest. 

As a practicing art historian, I look beyond the artwork and consider the artist. I perceive Cervantes as an individual who is not fearful of speaking up on the social and political issues she is most passionate about. She is willing to challenge the viewer in looking at art in a different way- not just for aesthetic appeal, but a way to share a message. In fact, art can vary in functions and can appear anywhere. Art is all around us but every day an individual is surrounded by social, political, and economic issues. 

In her artwork titled, Solidarity with Tunisia, she is challenging the viewer to consider worldly issues, like those happening in North Africa. The figure in the picture appears to be Muslim, perhaps from that region, exclaiming, "Victory will be attained by the peoples who struggle for their liberation!" This one statement is powerful and speaks beyond words, but Cervantes does something special with this statement. Cervantes translates the statement from Arabic to English to French to Spanish. By doing this, she is implying that every country is searching for victory in hopes of liberation. Nonetheless, no matter what language one speaks or what country they come from, the meaning of the statement is the same.