Presentation: Patssi Valdez

The presentation that stood out to me was the one about Patssi Valdez. The bright and vibrant colors and relatable objects and images drew me to her work. I liked the fact she is an LA local as well because I feel that she was able to draw not just from her experiences but from experiences from her community as well especially one as diverse and Latino populated like LA. As stated in the presentation, she began her career in the 80’s during the Chicano Movement and made her work very visual and catching to the eye so as to relay her message. The picture that I chose was Somber Clouds (2015) because it reminds me of the typical paintings that you see in a Latino household. I remember my mother putting random paintings up in the house that were paintings of a living room, or a house with a yard, with bright and bright colors just to make our house feel more like home. I remember most of my friends who are Latino have these random paintings as well in their homes too and all the mothers would say they bought just because it “looked nice.” The colorful living room setting with the overlook of the sea. The hardwood floors. It looks like something my mother would pick up at a store and think it would be a perfect addition to our home. It is that sentiment that Patssi Valdez created that made me drawn to her work and admire for her for being able to bring such melancholy  through a painting.