Nolazco, Nallely (Week 7: Claudia, Zapata)

     Reading Claudia Zapata's article on digital media, helped me realize the importance it plays in sharing art as well as having a better understanding of how immersive art can be in a "cold" area of the era of computers. Chicanx art serves a purpose is which it can be used in activism to address the issues people rarely speak and is a way for people to organize themselves and be part of a social movement. What I find interesting about digital media in this article is how it discusses that it's not supposed to remove/replace traditional art/prints but instead serves as another way of spreading a message more broadly around peoples lives. An example of this is at the beginning of the article where Carole Wells mentions that you can't carry a pc around and it's why prints are still relevant when conveying a message. Digital media has also been seen as something that artists are able to adapt to and while their is skepticism, they see the practicality and are able to produce work a lot faster and efficiently such as using laser cut outs for the creation of "papel picado" instead of having to use layers of tissue paper and a cutting instrument that consume time. Instead artist are able to think a few steps ahead and save themselves a lot of time.

    Another thing that I really liked about the article was the mention of how the web doesn't necessarily have to be a cold place but instead with the use of digital art, we are able to connect with others and relate. Jacalyn Lopes Garcia's interactive website of "Glass House" is a perfect example where she shows her digital works of family photographs and gives it a "homey" vibe with the interactive aspect of the site as users are given a tour inside a pixelated house/rooms. In these rooms we see digital works of Garcia's memories and it helps us feel as if we know the artist herself and have a better idea of her motives as an artist. The web also serves as a way of creating a private and safe space for an unrepresented community such as the use of a blog that Julio Salgado made to represent a community of undocumented queer people. His additional use of art was able to reach a broader audience and together with people on the web, are able to discuss their stories and struggles. By doing this, we're able to see communities that may have been considered invisible to the public.