Ojeda, Alejandro (Week 5)

    Reading through the work of Carmen Lomas Garza, her piece Tamalada really spoke to me. To me, it was almost as if she had extracted that exact memory from my childhood. Making tamales with my grandmother, tias, and my own mother, I knew exactly what kind of feeling Lomas Garza was aiming to deliver in this piece. With the inclusion of almost every step of the tamale-making process, it was beautiful to see this sort of aerial view of the scene and what went down in each corner of the room. This kitchen, even having a painting of The Last Supper on the wall, is similar to the ones I grew up in, especially those in which I was helping make tamales. When looking at each character in the piece, you can see them interact with another. This sense of togetherness is very detailed in this piece, and is something most individuals can relate to when looking back at their own experiences cooking with their families.

    This piece of art, though reminiscent of the experiences many Chicanx individuals have in family kitchens, is really telling a much larger story. It addresses and highlights many of the cultural similarities found within Chicanx communities, something that is hardly ever found in mainstream art and media. It really places the audience in the kitchen with the family, embodying values of love and community in helping this family make tamales. For me, this was something I had never seen before: it was a manifestation of my childhood and the memories I have growing up with my grandparents. The ability art has to be able to deliver such meaningful messages is powerful, and with respect to Lomas Garza, it is an expression of culture, the identities we embody, and the lived experiences of our community.