Week 7: Claudia Zapata "Chicanx Graphics in the Digital Age"

The essay entitled “Chicana Graphics in the Digital Age,” written by Claudia E. Zapata, honors new technological alternatives to artistic expression, ones that challenge the exclusivity of “fine” art within a white-centered discourse. It inspired, within me, many new interpretations of what defines this artistic mode and its artists. Digital media is not only more accessible to the general public, but also embodies the resilience of the Chicanx community that has continued to adapt, grow, and resist in the face of isolation. I was particularly struck by the way the text portrays digital art as much more than a tool, but also acts as a profound interaction between the art and the deeper representation of their medium. Digital artists not only use the internet or digital programs to create art with more ease, but they also interact with every aspect of technology beyond the web. Technological advancement has introduced a variety of tools that touch the physical and digital (i.e. computer parts, photography, and computer applications). It’s offer of diversity is unprecedented. Zapata brilliantly presents these insightful understandings. I think her discussion of Alma López’s work exemplifies her innovative view of Chicanx graphics. Though I am very familiar with professor López’s work, I had never thought to deeply explore the purely digital aspects of her work. Though digital apps have been used to create images of perfection or ideal within the present, López’s piece entitled Our Lady imagines a reality where Chicana women and queerness are respected for their inherent beauty and autonomy. Out of all of the possibilities that technology can create, Alma López refuses to adhere to images that enforce women’s docility and submission. Instead, she takes this tool, filled with potentiality, and shares an image of open feminine love and empowerment without shame. The digital essence of the piece allowed it to be shown quickly on a wide scale, which is helpful to the extent of its impact. I believe that, though this image garnered controversy, its prevalence was crucial to effecting the minds of a greater audience and vividly revealing the issues highlighted within the digital collage. Its vast viewership exposed horribly sexist opinions that the piece sought to challenge. This may have not been as efficiently achieved within the internet. This is the very element of the digital sphere that cultivates art on a broader level, which has especially strengthened the identity of Chicanx art (i.e. print, posters, and other graphics).