Week 7: Anna Serrano

I chose Mexican American artist Ana Serrano to present on because of how relatable her work is, how highly recognizable it is for non-latinos as well. Serrano comes from East Los Angeles and uses her work to describe her cross-culture identities. Knowing Latinos have a distinct way of making their homes colorful and unique, Serrano brings light to individual styles, techniques , and characteristics that embody the Latinx environment. The artist works as a sculpture using cardboard and paper, making life size neighborhoods, advanced character pinatas, and 3D images. One work in particular that stands out to me is her 2011 piece “Salon of Beauty” which encompassed an almost life-sized small neighborhood of a marginalized latino community. Each building was made framed by wood and covered completely from cardboard before being painted and decorated with cardboard props and details. No human was shown as a printed or cardboard figure, however, the entire piece resembles actual buildings owned by minority members of my Latino Los Angeles community. Some of the buildings included bakeries, nail salons, and front patios. Each structure was vibrant and distinctively latino, however, the people that went to the view and experienced the work were Texas-based locals who were completely disconnected with East LA. Through Salon of Beauty, the latino community was looked at and idolized as high art which is of constant importance to Ana Serrano as a Latinx artist.