Carmen Lomas Garza(late)

I really enjoyed Carmen Lomas Garza’s work because it reminded me of my family. I can easily identify a lot of the scenes depicted in Garza’s work. I like Carmen styles because it is vibrant; one my favorite works is  Earache Treatment because it reminded me of my mom. My mom always does this, but she incorporates onion for extra healing power. Their is so much detail that really makes the scene come alive; this helps the viewer recall  similar circumstances their lives.

Refelction post

At the beginning of the class I knew little to nothing about Chicana artist. I only knew about Frida Kahlo because I watched Frida; I remember watching the film as a young child and thinking, Frida is really cool. This class exposed me to different artist, who also embodied Frida’s spirit; some of my favorite artist include Carolyn Catasño and Judith Baca. I identify with Catasño’s work because I also care environmental issues. I also loved her incorporation of nature and vivid colors a I have always liked colorful materials. As for Baca’s work, I liked Baca’s community engagement; I have always admired activist leaders because I believe any change, regardless of how small, is significant. These two women inspire me to focus my efforts and to always keep in mind that change is possible.

This class has demonstrated to me the power of art has, in all honesty I viewed art as a leisurely activity, but know I see it as vital tool for activism. I want to incorporate art’s ability to heal into my everyday life; consequently, I want to improve my art skills so I can give my friends and family presents. I have always liked when my friends make me a present because the art s always tailored for me. This lets me know that my friend listens to me and cares about me. I really think it is important to tell the ones you love that you the, but most importantly show them. I see art in my future as medium in which I can express my love for the world.

Mural Extra Credit

The mural currently next to Panda Express is called The Black Experience, completed in 1970 it aimed to draw attention African American history. I liked that we learned about the background surrounding the mural’s removal because in the articles I have read nothing was mentioned about the LA riots. The mural was created by seven UCLA art students in response to recent protest associated with the Vietnam war. The mural was covered up in the early 90s and was only recently restored because of student initiative. The mural is very intricate, but deceptively simple from afar; I think this characteristic was used a symbol for black representation in America. From afar African American are treated as monolithic group, but upon close inspection a lot of diversity and history is discovered. I didn't like the placement of the mural next to Panda Express because it leads to the mural being missed. Overall. I enjoyed looking at the mural and noticing the small details within the picture. I especially liked how the used one of the man’s glasses as a reflective surface.

week nine post- Ana Mendieta

The artist that struck me the most was Ana Mendieta because her art is so graphic. I like how she didn't shy away from the reality of life and challenged her viewers to address the issue in society. Her installation piece, Rape Scene, was very detailed and captures the atrocity that is rape. Her other works also address violence in great detail.

Her death was extremely alarming because of how her case was handled. I can't believe the lawyers protected a man by using her own work against her. Yes, her work is morbid but she did it in order to criticize the morbidity in the world not praise it. I do not believe Ana committed suicide.

Protest do continue to happen against her husband, but he is still featured in museums. I believe this is unfair given the evidence against him and how Ana's work was distorted. Rest in Peace

Week 8-Camille Rose Garcia

The artist that interested me the most was Camille Rose Garcia; her art style reminded me of Tim Burton's movies. Camille Rose Garcia has a Gothic style, but she uses vibrant colors to contrast her black outlines. This method draws attention to certain parts of the painting acting as spotlight. Garcia’s influences include her mother, the punk scene, and vintage cartoons.

I enjoy how Garcia retells classic fairy tales with a Gothic twist; this portrayal critiques the perfect presentations of fairy tales. Her Gothic portrayals question the idyllic endings presented in fairy tales. For example in her works associated with Snow White, Garcia shows snow white in alternative situations; they showcase the  true danger the Disney version failed to highlight. In one of her paintings the animals in the woods look evil and so do the dwarfs.

A lot of the fairy tales Disney produces have been reconfigured to present a kid friendly version. This method produces more harm than good because it sets unrealistic expectations for women. Presenting an unrealistic narrative for young child creates a cycle of unhappiness because they are constantly unsatisfied with their lives. For example, originally Cinderella contained a violent ending; in the Brothers Grimm version one step sister cuts her toe off to fit the slipper, birds also peck out their eyes during Cinderella's wedding.

Judith F Baca

Judith F. Baca by Anna Indych-Lopez chronicles the major works of Baca from the beginning of her career. As a public works artist, Baca is widely known for The Great Wall. Baca incorporates many local issues into her work and emphasis the power of a community to invoke change.

The incorporation of historical issues has always been prevalent in Baca’s artwork; La Memoria de Nuestra Tierra: California was commissioned by USC in 1996. This mural was intended to celebrate Cesar Chavez , but it was heavily contested by the president of the university. The mural incorporates many historical elements about the oppression of people of color in Los Angeles. The regents thought the issues addressed in the mural were too negative for their anglo viewers. The mural openly defies the historical presentation of local histories by demanding that events be presented accurately. This mural challenges the directors; this is evident by Baca’s response to the critiques. For example, when asked why the people are so angry in the mural she responds, “I did not make the history. I just paint it (Indych-López, 81).

I like how Baca incorporates many elements into her murals because there is always something new to find. The mural has multiple aspects that can be interpreted in several ways, allowing the viewer to crate their own experience wit the mural. The fluidity of this mural allows for a community to be adequately represented because it provides many events for people to identify with.

Yolanda Lopez

Another collection that showcases Yolanda Lopez’s mission to portray Chicanas positively is the Tres Mujeres series. This series is my favorite in the book because of how simple and effective it is. The drawings are black and white and portray the women simply. The women have simple poses and are portrayed non sexually, emphasizing that their role is not sexual or maternal. The title of the pieces are also effective at dismantling gender roles because they detach the women from men. The subjects in the series are Yolanda, her mother, and grandmother; her mother and grandmother represent the powerful women in her life and their importance is evident because they are the only subjects in the drawings. More emphasis was also placed on the women’s faces than their bodies; this forces the viewer to look for detail in the women’s faces instead of their bodies.
I like how the women are drawn and how this enhances their natural beauty. My favorite drawing is the grandmother( bottom left) because she looks so kind and powerful. Lopez's portrayal of her mother and grandmother is impactful because she presents them as individuals and tells their story. The neutral setting that Yolanda placed the women in also makes their representation stronger because it is more universal. It is easy to pictures other women in those settings, creating a sense of community.

CARA Alicia Gaspar de Alba

The CARA review written by Alicia Gaspar de Alba showcases many issues related with exhibit, but does not deny the importance of the exhibit as a whole. Through the reading and the lecture presented by Gaspar de Alba, underlying gender roles and their associated presentations were revealed. Upon initial inspection the exhibit was celebrated for its presentation of Chicano alternate history, which is often unknown to the public. Although the exhibit bridged American histories well; it continued to reference centuries of female subordination because it did not give equity to the artist in the exhibit. The design of the exhibit presented women as mothers, whose only role was to continue the chicanx community.

Visitors were first presented to women in the traditional sense as women of pleasure and as mothers; this representation was hard for visitors to dismiss once they entered the room for women, This set categorization of women does not the work of the female artist be understood fully. The initial representation of women in the exhibit taint the work of the female artist because their work indirectly serves to reinforce the representations/ In the future exhibits need to take into consideration the subliminal messages they are displaying, so they can minimize negative portrayals of people.

Debra Blake Quote

Debra J Blake presents the struggles Chicana, US Mexican women face in her examination of various artworks and interviews. The book presents the narratives of working and middle class women in attempt to show how traditional Mexican figures, such as La Virgen de Guadalupe, have shaped their lives. The use of artwork, historical figures and interviews makes the narratives in this book very applicable to modern life and demonstrates how women have been subjugated by various methods.

In the first section of the book Blake presents historical figures and terms as precedent for the rest of the book. Blake defines cultural refuguring and countermemory to show how these concepts are being adopted by women to challenge traditional gender roles and representations of Mexica women figures. Mexica figures representation such as the Malinche, the Llorona, and La Virgen de Guadalupe varies across time and geographic location and is evolving to meet the needs of current believers. These figures were initially represented in various forms to facilitate the Conquistadors agenda, “ the woman of discord were necessary not only to historically justify the Mexica conquests and internecine conflicts… new order” ( Blake 17). For example La Malinche was initially well respected by both the indigenous people and Spanish, but later on was assigned the role of a traitor when the Virgen de Guadalupe became popular. Artwork depicting La Malinche as a strong woman that was not subjugated to Cortes, challenges her representation and acknowledges that she was given to him by indigenous people.

Presentation:Carolyn Castaño

  I choose Carolyn Castaño because I really liked the colors she uses in her works and the topics she chooses to paint about. Her color choices are very vibrant and she incorporates a lot of nature themes into her work. Carolyn was born in 1971 to Colombian migrants in Los Angeles. She was first exposed to art within the club communities of both rock and pop, evident in their use in some of her work. In most of her paintings she creates borders to highlight the subject. She is currently focusing on Narcos from Latin America, and portrays them in a neutral matter;  she is interested in women's role in Narco trafficking and how they have been portrayed in popular culture. Castaño's work has been exhibited at major museums and exhibitions across the world; she not only paints, but also does multimedia work. She graduated from UCLA, San Francisco Art Institute , and  Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture.