Conde, Daniela - Week 10

Some concepts that I learned about in this course were rasquachismo and nepantla. Rasquachismo refers to a concept that describes a Chicano aesthetic and practice that was coined by the Chicano scholar Tomás Ibarra-Frausto. Rasquachismo essentially is being creative and resourceful, innovative and re-creating/transforming the materials available to you into something else, usually something that is practical but not necessarily. People (“outsiders”) often see rasquachismo and see it in a negative light, often associated with poverty and kitchy-ness, however rasquachismo is a beautiful and environmentally conscious tradition, practice, and aesthetic that is rooted in nuestras comunidades. Additionally, another concept we read about in our class is nepantla, we didn’t necessarily talk about it too much in class but it’s one I recall from the readings. Nepantla is described as an in between state, or in between worlds. It is also associated with the Chicanx identity and even living on the borderlands, such as the San Diego/Tijuana border and what that does to the mind, body and psyche of individuals and communities and in this case artists. In the “Chicano and Chicana Art: A Critical Anthology,” Nepantla is defined as: “the Nahuatl word for an in-between state, that uncertain terrain one crosses when moving from one place to another, when changing from one class, race, or sexual position to another, when traveling from the present identity into a new identity” (Gonzalez et al., 2019, p. 344). Both of these concepts are important because they link back to the work of some of the artists we have studied such as Yolanda M. Lopez and Carmen Lomas Garza. Yolanda M. Lopez work arguably touches on some of the nepantla concept with some of her work because of the ways she challenges social constructions of Chicanx women as it relates to the Virgen de Guadalupe. Additionally, in Carmen Lomas Garza’s work, one can see traces of rasquachismo, specifically in some of the ofrenda work she has done that also feature her famous papel picado. Both rasquachismo and nepantla are important concepts that can be found in the work of Yolanda M. Lopez and Carmen Lomas Garza as well as many of the other Chicana/Latinx artists we have learned about throughout the quarter. The photo above is a mural dedicated to honor Yolanda Lopez created by Jessica Sabogal. 

Conde, Daniela - Artist Presentations

 

I really appreciated learning about Josie Del Castillo and her work. Josie Del Castillo was born and lives in Brownsville, Texas. I’ve come across her art on social media and think that the portraiture and self-portrait work she does is really beautiful/powerful. Our peer that presented on Josie Del Castillo mentioned that some of her self-portraits have a lot to do with her mental health journey and the ways she is healing and navigating and working through some of her insecurities. I actually didn’t know that about her work. I think its powerful that she paints her Brown body, I think its the first artist in a while that I’ve seen paint the beauty of the Brown femme body in a simple yet bold way. I suppose in some ways I feel seen, and I think her paintings undeniably defies dominant discourses and neocolonial conceptions of the Brown body. The Brown femme body is not necessarily sexualized, rather I see claiming space in the public imaginaries that are so inundated with white/European ideas of beauty that can be harmful to communities of color. I think her self-portraits also defy whiteness while also acknowledging some of the pain and turmoil that comes with mental health. In this photo we see Josie del Castillo hanging some of her work in the Rusteberg Art Gallery. In an article that interviewed Josie Del Castillo she shares a bit about her self portrait painting process and the psychological process behind it as well: “Psychologically, I try to break past those barriers with my work. Then I still struggle with the idea behind ‘real women have curves’ or ‘curves are beautiful’ because I still don’t identify with most of the ‘full’ or ‘round’ women in mainstream media. I go back and forth between feeling confident and insecure. Recently, I started to experiment with saturated colors and using them as different skin tones. I want women with different skin tones, complexions, and sizes to learn how to appreciate their bodies, even if they don’t fit within the standards of what is considered beautiful by the masses.” (2018, New Houston Music Outlet)

Conde, Daniela - Week 8

 

So far we’ve had really great presentations in class highlighting Latinx/Xicanx artists, everyone has done a lot of work researching their artist and it shows. Living in San Diego, CA murals stand out to me so I decided to write this post on Graciela Carillo, who is an artist and muralist. Graciela is from Los Angeles, CA but she is known for her work in the Bay Area with the Mujeres Muralistas. I was drawn to this because as a collective they were able to do so much, they were all Chicanx/Latinx women who were showcasing their work in the Mission District. Their paintings reflected their culture, roots, histories and their people. The artists who were part of the Mujeres Muralistas included: Patricia Rodriguez, Irene Perez, Consuelo Mendez and of course Graciela Carillo. I decided to include a photo of them in this post. Based on the paint on the floor and their surroundings, they were possibly working on a mural together when this photo was taken. Muralism and public art has been/may still be a male dominated space, just like in the Bay Area this is also reflected in the Chicano Park history of murals, where men dominate the majority of the mural space. As a collective they were able to do a lot more and their work is definitely recognized among the public art in the Mission District. One of the murals our peer shared with us titled “Latinoamerica” highlights a lot of Indigenous elements, such as a pyramid made of maiz to show the importance of maiz to Indigenous peoples in Mexico and Central America in the past (and present day! ), among other beautiful vibrant details. I also came across this recording, digital archive, of Patricia Rodriguez speaking on the creation of the “Latinoamerica” mural which I thought was powerful: while they experienced some harassment from men in the streets “In general the Latino community was our primary audience and they let us know they were grateful. They brought us gifts of beer, tamales, and flowers for honoring them and their culture. They also brought their children to introduce them to their Latino heritage so they would not forget where they came from. The mural seemed to heal some of the community’s wounds.”

Conde, Daniela - Week 7

In the essay by Claudia E. Zapata titled “Chicano Graphics in the Digital Age” (2020) we are introduced to the sociopolitical background of the 1980s and the expanding relationship between Chicanx/Xicanx artists/art and digital technologies. From my understanding, Zapata writes about the ways Chicano artists have continued to challenge injustices faced by their communities, enacted digital solidarities, and shaped new ways of interacting with art making processes as well as sharing their work with the public. Zapata writes: “digital modalities offer new opportunities to visualize political resistance, and they define the ongoing adaptive role of the artist as cultural agitator” (Zapata, 2020, p. 131). Xicanx artists, in the digital age, have not only adapted to changes in technological developments but also ushered new ways of resisting systemic oppression. An example of this is artist Julio Salgado who identifies as an undocuqueer artist and uses online avenues to share his art, build community, and engage in activist and cultural change. As Zapata explains, “digital platforms provide undocuqueer online users with increased mobility, intimacy, and often anonymity, together with a community and sense of empowerment to move their declarations off-line, if they choose” (Zapata, 2020, p. 140). Another example is artist Favianna Rodriguez, who on her website shares videos, tutorials, and templates for social justice oriented work and activism, such as her “Migration is Beautiful” monarch butterfly that has been used extensively in protests for immigrant justice movements. This new way of engaging with the community extends the work of an artist and expands the possibilities of art making and sharing their work, especially in the growing use of social media platforms such as facebook, instagram and twitter among others. Xicanx artists continue to be adaptive and creative in navigating digital technologies. Yet, they continue to be active and vocal in raising concerns about injustices just as much as in the early 1980s. Digital technologies have expanded the possibilities of art making and Xicanx artists have also grown alongside these changes and have been trailblazers in the digital arts as well.

 

Conde, Daniela - Week 6

 Xandra Ibarra, also known as La Chica Boom, is a Xicana performance and visual artist. She works with multiple mediums and is unapologetic in her work. Her background as a community organizer is also visible in her work, in the ways that she critiques power but also focuses on the joy and pleasure of racialized communities. While looking through her website, it is clear that she engages and challenges us, the viewer/public, with unsettling normalized ideas and ideologies of gender, borders, sexuality, identity and politics. In her work “Se Corre,” which is made with vinyl, horse hair, pigment and steel created in 2019 is an example of a work that blends in her humor, critique, and conceptual work. “Se Corre” is part of “This Is The End” Pastie series, which includes works created in 2016, 2019 and 2020. All of the enlarged pasties painted different colors, with horse hair hanging from them as the tassels. “Se Corre” is painted in dark blue color, and they are hung on a painted wall that is white and deep peach color. Facing the work directly from the front one is not entirely certain what they are but from different angles you begin to see that they are pasties at a scale that one has not seen before. In some ways this piece breaks barriers of a gendered [and racialized] corporeality. I think it both simultaneously highlights the male gaze on gendered bodies (final reveal in striptease performance) but at the same time subverts it, the pasties representing the sexual pleasure of a gendered body. This pleasure is at the center in such a large scale, they are not to be ignored and they are not to be underestimated. Questions I have for the artist: What has been your favorite medium(s) to work with? If you can point to a work or piece that you feel captures the essence of who you are as an artist and what you stand for, which one or ones would it be? What are some current projects you are working on?

Conde, Daniela - Artist Wikipedia Draft

Photo of Sendy Santamaria by Kristin Cofer

Sendy Santamaria is an illustrator and visual designer from San Diego, CA. She was born on September 25, 1996 in San Diego, California and grew up on the US/Mexico borderlands.

 

Biography (Education and Background) 

Sendy Santamaria received a Bachelor of Fine Arts from California College of the Arts in the Bay Area in 2018. Sendy worked as a Design Associate at 826 Valencia in San Francisco, CA. She is a Visual Designer and Graphic Arts Mentor at BAYCAT Bayview-Hunters Point Center for Arts and Technology. Sendy Santamarias’ art features themes such as migration and the everyday lives of working class communities. Her work also centers Xicanx culture as well as the narratives of Latinx and Xicanx communities. She employs a multitude of mediums such as acrylic painting, printmaking, mural arts, embroidery and graphic arts.    

References

1. https://www.writershouseart.com/sendy-santamaria/

2. https://826valencia.org/meet-our-educational-programming-interns-for-the-fall/

3. https://issuu.com/826valencia/docs/annual_report_2017-2018

4. https://www.baycat.org/about

5. https://www.sendysantamaria.com/

 

Further reading

• https://www.perditashop.com/events/2019/6/13/gay-area-bay-area-queer-artist-showcase
• http://www.visualshopsd.com/visual-public-art-project.html
• https://www.wastedive.com/news/the-beauty-in-trash-artists-transform-trucks-into-mobile-masterpieces/404085/
• http://www.zspace.org/retablos-word-for-word

External Links:

• Artist website: https://www.sendysantamaria.com/

Conde, Daniela - Week 5

When looking at Carmen Lomas Garza’s paintings, it is as if you caught a glimpse at a moment in time in a mundane but beautiful environment. There is so much happening in every corner of the paintings, the smallest of details are both heartwarming and lovely to see. There is familiarity and intimacy to her paintings, even in the ones with so many people in them. I decided to choose one that focuses on just two people but portrays just as much warmth as the collective gatherings. The painting that caught my attention was “Cleaning Nopalitos” (1989) which is a piece made with gouache on cotton paper.

“Cleaning Nopalitos” depicts two beautiful Brown people, one male figure and a young girl, the male figure potentially an Abuelito because of the white hairs indicating age is sitting down on a wooden blue chair focused on removing cactus spines with a knife. The little girl is in a red dress with small black slip-on shoes, she has short black hair and is leaning her head on her palm while resting her elbow on a small daffodil-yellow table. The Abuelito wearing jean overalls with a white shirt has a wood crate of freshly picked nopalitos on one side and has a forest-green bucket under the nopalito to catch the espinas he is taking off of the nopalitos. Both seem in deep contemplation and focus, one on the activity of peeling nopalitos and the young girl watching the Abuelito in action, perhaps wanting to do it herself but potentially knowing that both the cactus espinas and the knife itself warrant her Abuelito saying no to her helping out. There are three nopalitos on the table that are ready to be cooked. Both of them are on a screened white porch with abundant red flowers and a majestic tree in the background.

To me, this is a beautiful intimate and mundane moment between two generations: an Abuelito and a granddaughter. One of which is familiar to me, both from my own childhood and watching my sisters interact with my abuelitos in México. “Cleaning Nopalitos” by Carmen Lomas Garza reminded me of the time my two sisters ages 10 and 16 were helping my abuelito clean the corn he had harvested from his own cosecha. All my sisters were born in the United States so this was the first time they met my Abuelitos. They were all sitting outside, talking, laughing and cleaning corn together. It was a beautiful sight to see, I think I took a photo of them. This is what I remembered the most from México and my childhood there, the small tender moments with elders, ones that connected me to the land and to my people. I suppose something different from this painting and my sister's moment with my Abuelito is that they were all learning by helping him (albeit they were potentially older than the girl in the painting), they were all in casual clothes, my Abuelito con sus huaraches and my sisters in jeans and hoodies, and just basking in the beautiful sun outdoors. I asked one of my sisters how she felt and she responded, “I felt like I was getting closer to Abuelito.”

Conde, Daniela

Artist: Sendy Santamaria

Writers House Art: https://www.writershouseart.com/sendy-santamaria/

Sendy Santamaria is one of the artists represented by Writers House Art. This agency was established in 1973 and represents many illustrators. The website highlights some important biographical information. Sendy Santamaria is from San Diego and currently based in the Bay Area working on a book project with Chronicle Books. She received her BFA from California College of the Arts and her work highlights the Xicanx culture across borders, in Tijuana and San Diego.

“The Freedom to Live Without Fear” Digital Book:

https://826valencia.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/YABP-2020_DIGITAL.pdf 

This digital book is written by high school students at Mission High School, based in San Francisco, CA. The book was published in 2020 by 826 Valencia, it is printed in Canada by Prolific Graphics. Sendy Santamaria is cited as Design Associate of the book. 

San Diego Reader: https://www.sandiegoreader.com/news/2015/oct/13/beer-year-south-bay-suds/

This article highlights the growing number of breweries in San Diego, specifically in the South Bay, south of the California State Route 54, which is predominantly Latinx working class families and communities. Artist Sendy Santamaria’s mural is featured in the article, it is a large interior mural in the first beer house in the South Bay, owned a Latino couple from San Diego, Ca.

Alameda County School Health Initiative Framework: https://achealthyschools.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/153_School_Health_Initiative_Framework.pdf

This online work is published by the Center for Healthy Schools and Communities in Alameda County Health Care Services Agency. This book showcases the County School Health Initiative. Sendy Santamaria is the artist that designed and created the cover. 

826 Valencia Annual Report: https://issuu.com/826valencia/docs/annual_report_2017-2018

826 Valencia is a nonprofit organization that supports communities of color in initiatives focused on writing, literacy and education; they work collaboratively with students, teachers and community members. This Annual Report 2017-2018 was illustrated by the artist Sendy Sanatamaria and features the work of the organization, students and teachers. 

NY Times Article/Book Review: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/23/books/review/eat-the-mouth-that-feeds-you-carribean-fragoza.html 

Sendy Santamaria’s artwork is featured in this New York Times article published in March of 2021. The article is titled “A Visceral and Fabulist Short Story Collection Filled With Roots, Inheritance and Blood” and reviews a book. 

“My Tastebuds Are Having a Tropical Party” Digital Book: https://826valencia.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/BessieCarmichael_2019_4th_F.pdf 

This book titled “My Tastebuds Are Having a Tropical Party” published in 2019 by 826 Valencia, a nonprofit organization, features the writing and poetry of young children. Sendy Santamaria is the Cover and Layout Designer of the digitally accessible book.

Conde, Daniela - Week 4

The first time I heard this term was within Chicanx communities, literature and contexts, yet within the migrant communities I am part of the term is not necessarily used, it is lived. This doesn’t make it less or more legitimate, it's just different but just as palpable. According to Gonzalez et al. in Chicano and Chicana Art: A Critical Anthology, rasquache “is to be down but not out (fregado pero no jodido). Responding to a direct relationship with the material level of existence or subsistence is what engenders a rasquache at- titude of survival and inventiveness” (p. 86). I grew up with a type of “rasquachismo,” possibly something more complex than this concept can encapsulate, without necessarily knowing there was a term for it. I suppose growing up in a small pueblo meant that you did what you could with what you had, without feeling shame or embarrassment but rather there was a joy in being able to live simply. 

While in the United States and within working class and middle class families it may have a negative even classist/racist connotation, I think this lifestyle, creative process, consciousness, praxis is or was the norm when I was growing up. As a migrant family, this was something that was and is very present in my life, especially in the ways that my mother teaches this. It is not necessarily mentioned in the text, yet I think that it is a way of being a good relative in this world. Even though examples of “rasquachismo” may be seen in more low income and working class communities of color such as Chicanx, Latinx, and migrant communities, it is actually a worldview that can and has contributed to environmentally conscious efforts, such as not being wasteful and being resourceful with the material and mediums at hand. I think “rasquachismo” is actually a beautiful way to enact agency, creativity and sustainability. 

I have so many beautiful photos of my grandma's plants back in México, however I could not find them so above is an image of a small plant/succulent garden that reflects a bit of this term.

Conde, Daniela - Week 3

La Virgen de Guadalupe is an important sacred figure in many Mexicanxs, Chicanxs, Latinxs lives across Turtle Island, Latinoamerica and the world. For many Mexicanxs, it is more than just a religious figure or patron saint, it is also very much rooted in an Indigenous feminine force/being that predates Catholic imposition and forced colonial assimilation and violence. Many Mexicanxs, whether Catholic or not, also proudly declare their devotion as “Guadalupanos.” I think many years before I was born my town and neighboring towns would do pilgrimages to CDMX (Mexico City) to el cerro del Tepeyac where the Basilica de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe now exists, these pilgrimages continue to this day. We had a designated space/altar/ofrenda for la Virgencita incorporated in the construction of our/my childhood home in Puebla, Mexico. La Virgen de Guadalupe was and also continues to be present in any space I have called “home” in Mexico and the United States, whether an actual physical small statue of la Virgencita or a frame. Personally, la Virgencita de Guadalupe is an important figure in my educational journey, I have held on tight to my bond, relationship, love and trust to la Virgencita. For me, she represents a Brown Indigenous goddess, who is divine, powerful, and free; madre tierra. Of course, there has also been a lot of criticisms of what La Virgen de Guadalupe represents and is also a central figure and has influenced Chicana/x Latina/x art, such as the recognizable Yolanda M. Lopez paintings among others that exist today. So much has been written about la Virgencita as well by queer Chicana scholars such as Gloria Anzaldua. There is also a book by Ana Castillo titled “Goddess of the Americas: Writings on the Virgen of Guadalupe” (Castillo, 1996) that is dedicated to La Virgen de Guadalupe. While La Virgen is very much recognized across the world and historically played a role in evangelizing Indigenous peoples in Mexico, as well as contributed to community organizing efforts in the Chicanx Social Movement and the Farm Workers Movement, it remains a very personal and sacred being to many of us. I find La Virgen de Guadalupe wherever I travel and in the smallest synchronicities and in beautiful murals in the streets. I particularly like the mosaic mural below because of my connection and proximity to the ocean on Kumeyaay coastal lands (SD), this public art piece (installed covertly, considered graffiti at one point) is titled “Surfing Madonna” by Mark Patterson and is located in coastal North County San Diego, a place I call home and has the words “save the ocean” on the mural.

"Surfing Madonna" by Mark Patterson, North County San Diego, CA (tierras Kumeyaay)

Santamaria, Sendy

1. Santamaria, Sendy

2. Silva, Denise

3. Lopez, Sonia

Conde, Daniela

 

Hi, everyone! My name is Daniela Conde, my pronouns are she/her/ella. My familia and I are migrantes y campesinos from Puebla, México. My homeland es mi primer amor and I dream of one day returning and teaching/working/living/creating there. I currently live on the coastal territory of the Kumeyaay Ipai Tipai Nations also known by its colonial name of San Diego, CA. I am an oldest hermana and a first generation college graduate. My background is in Ethnic Studies and at the moment I am working on a doctoral program in Education at ucla. My research looks at the manifestations/disruptions of race, racism, and settler colonialism in higher education. I study the stories, lives and educational pathways of Indigenous migrant and diasporic communities. I try to incorporate art in any space I am part of, whether it’s community work or research. I think that art is a powerful pedagogical tool, and a critical resource as a current educator and future profe which is one of the many reasons I am excited to be in this class, especially as we learn more about Chicanx and Latinx Art and artists from and alongside Prof. Lopez. I am especially drawn to muralism and painting because I have been a part of several (mural) community projects in SD with migrant youth and youth of color. Art has also been an incredibly healing process for me, personally, and (re)connects me to all that I love and more. Looking forward to learning from/with you all this quarter.