Throughout the book, I took notice that Carmen Lomas incorporates the motif of family into all of her artworks. This stood out to me for the very fact that all her stories and experiences always seem to involve family. Even if her art pieces were meant to be political, they still include aspects of family or community traditions.
A particular artwork that stood out to me was titled, Para la Cena. This painting was that of a family consisting of a mother and father with their three well dressed children. The family is waiting outside as they catch a chicken. The image is showing the family preparing themselves for dinner by going outside to their yard to catch their own food. It stood out because of the contrast in the children’s appearance and the activity they are participating in.
This image draws viewers to notice the cultural difference. We are able to read the title and think of a typical family who is getting ready for dinner. I think of the daily supper preparations in the households seen on television and how the white family usually defines what most imitate. Likewise in this image we see that a Latin family attempts to eat and prepare together. However, they mix their own culture and traditions with that of the typical American family. The way in which they prepare is totally different than that of those seen on television. Going out to catch a chicken is something I think of with small villages in non American countries. By creating this visual, it shows the mixing of the two cultures as best as possible. Additionally, the parents are dressed more old fashioned while the children are dressed in more formal attire. It conveyed to me the assimilation the parents would like their children to make into American culture. They want their kids to become more immersed in the new culture though they still hold onto some common or old habits.
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