Ojeda, Alejandro (Week 10)

Throughout this quarter, there have been many artists I have been introduced to whose work has been a joy to admire. However, there has been one artist who I feel has changed my perception of art and the entire genre of Chicanx art as a whole.

Yolanda Lopez, with her depictions of La Virgen, really opened my eyes to a whole new world of art and meaning. Many of the pieces of art that Lopez has put together have recontextualized the religious icon, making her a symbol of love and respect for all women. In some of them, she would include women close to her, many of whom were performing their daily routine, as a way to highlight the beauty of women and womanhood. Although we have made progress in our society, we still have a long way to go before women receive the amount of respect they deserve. Not only this, but there are many differences between the way women and men are treated systematically. So, seeing these images of women who look like our mothers and grandmothers in Chicanx and Latinx communities should help bring these discussions to light. 

For me, reading about Lopez and her art made me even more excited to continue with the Wikipedia project. I think the work we’re doing is important, especially since Wikipedia, such a simple tool to navigate, is used to learn more about so many people around the world. If we are able to collectively shed light on the lives and works of more Chicanx and Latinx women, we may be able to see a shift in the attitudes and behaviors put forth against women. Like we learned at the beginning of the quarter: it’s not that these artists do not exist, it’s that men take up all the space.

Ojeda, Alejandro (Week 9)

For our second week of presentations, the overview given to us by Helena Alcala proved to be very interesting to me. Helena presented on Carmen Linares-Kalo, an artist who has done such monumental work in the Chicanx community. I greatly appreciated the fact that Helena took the time to do research on Linares-Kalo and put together a draft of the artist’s life and work. Although this was just a small glimpse into the life of the artist, I believe it was empowering to hear about the work that’s being done by her and many others in the community.

One of the main reasons why Linares-Kalo’s work stood out to me was because of the locations in which she chose to create some of her art. The images that Helena showed us in class featured murals done on freeway pillars, the large, stone bases of freeways you can see almost anywhere you go. Not only are the pieces magnificent in their beauty and attention to detail, but I believe this art, and the particular settings in which it is located, speaks even greater volumes. The fact that this art is set on freeway bases almost seems as if the art itself is holding up the freeway, which speaks a lot on the contributions that Chicanx have made, and continue to make, to our society that have fostered growth and success. In this case, these pieces of art now embody many of the statements and questions that are reminiscent of the Chicano movement of the late-20th century. Nonetheless, uer work, and the means by which it is all completed, was wonderful to witness in class.

Every presentation has been great, especially since we have all been shedding light on such important work that usually goes unnoticed. I hope that I get to hear from more of my peers about even more women creating art in Chicanx and Latinx spaces.

Ojeda, Alejandro: Week 8

For our first week of presentations, I decided to discuss the work of Brenda Barrios. First of all, Armando did such a wonderful job giving us some background on Barrios and introducing us to some of her artwork. I greatly appreciated his presentation and wish he could have shared more of his thoughts regarding Barrios and the themes she chooses to depict in her images.

Being that this class project is something I had never done before, it was interesting to hear from a classmate about the work they have been doing to help get this artist on the map. Though some may see it as just a simple Wikipedia article, we are doing a lot of work by shedding light on such talented Latinx/Chicanx female artists. As exemplified by Armando, it is important to share these stories and get others familiarized with people who have been impacting our own communities in such beautiful ways. In every presentation, I was taken aback by the contributions these artists have made, especially since many of them never get the attention they truly deserve. Barrios, for example, does such important work in terms of raising awareness of some of the many trials and tribulations of her community. If it had not been for Armando’s presentation and preparation to draft a Wikipedia entry, however, I would have not known about Barrios and her work.

In terms of her work, I truly appreciated how loud her art was in terms of grabbing the viewer’s attention and centering it on some of the most important issues currently being faced by marginalized communities in our current society. I am thankful for the work that she does, and hope that she is able to inspire many others to continue what she has helped start in our community.

Ojeda, Alejandro: Week 7

    In her chapter “Chicanx Graphics in the Digital Age,” Claudia Zapata analyzes the various forms by which Chicanx artists produce and showcase their art. By looking at platforms like augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR), she examines the ways in which art has changed digitally, with respect to the spaces that it embodies. For me, this piece does a great job of looking at art in today’s social spaces. Being that social media and digital art is now on the rise more than ever before, it is no wonder that more and more artists are able to showcase the work they put together.

    Aside from that, there is a lot to be said surrounding the content of this art and the messages being sent by Chicanx artists to dismantle the systems in place that work against them and their communities. A lot of the work that has been done, and continues to be done to this day, looks at today’s government and other powerful institutions that contribute to the oppression of marginalised communities in our society. For the Chicanx community, this includes the disproportionate resources and opportunities offered to individuals that result in them being seen as less than their White counterparts. 

    Although art may seem like a poor counter to these systems, it serves as a means for Chicanx artists to have conversations the way they know best: by creating. Through the digital art world, many of the sentiments of the Chicano movement of the late-20th century are very much still present. If we continue to provide these spaces for artists to create and collaborate with others, it serves as another platform for art to thrive and reach those who it can impact most. Most of the pieces we see today can resonate with many of the lived experiences of Chicanx individuals around the country, and that is what makes it art.

Ojeda, Alejandro: Week 6

After going through Xandra Ibarra’s website, I became intrigued by the work that Ibarra does and the ways in which she decides to deliver messages. To me, it seems that art is one of the most perfect expressions for Ibarra, especially since a lot of her work is unique and does not look like any other piece of art I have seen before.

One of the most interesting pieces I came across was her Inventory of Exhaustion Series (image left), whose solo project of the same name exhibited at the Black and White Projects in 2016. I learned that these photographs depicted the vacuum-sealed costumes that Ibarra wore, often when performing as La Chica Boom. I find this to be really fascinating, because there is so much that can be interpreted from this exhibition. On one hand, it is almost as if Ibarra is capturing a moment from the time these outfits were worn. This tells a story in one way, because viewers get the chance to almost imagine what it would have been like to both perform in that costume and watch some perform in that costume. Ibarra mentions that each of the pieces included in the exhibition almost shadow the kinds of “preservations and categorizations” you would see at a typical natural history museum. This is really interesting, since one wouldn’t normally expect to see clothes at a museum like that. However, it makes sense. These costumes tell a story, and Ibarra did a wonderful job telling that story in this exhibition.

If I could ask Ibarra a question, I would ask: How does it feel to vacuum-seal these costumes and, in a way, also seal the memories associated with them? Even though these costumes are referred to as “shed skin,” do you ever wish you could wear them again?

Ojeda, Alejandro (Wiki Draft: Jackie Amezquita)

Jackie Amezquita (born August 10, 1985) is a performance artist known for her work exploring power structures and the effects of them on ourselves and our environment. She is influenced by her experiences as an immigrant woman here in the United States, often referencing the relationship she now has with borders. She puts together what she refers to as a “visual language” with the help of weaving and the use of her own body. Her pieces are known to challenge the systems of power dominating our country today.

Early Life and Education

Amezquita was born in Quetzaltenango, Guatemala and lived there with her grandmother until she was about 17 years old. At this age, she decided to cross the border and travel to Los Angeles, California where she met her mother. Her mother had travelled to Los Angeles when Amezquita was only two years old, so the two had been separated for almost 15 years. 

She received an Associate’s Degree in Visual Communications from Los Angeles Valley College and her Bachelor’s in Fine Art from Art Center College of Design. She is currently a Master’s of Fine Arts candidate at the University of California, Los Angeles.

 

Notable Works

• Proclamacion (2020)

• 17 people gathered to eat with only their hands; depicts the plates of food before and after gathering

• De Norte a Sur (2019)

• a performance piece in which she went from US/Mexico border to the Mexico/Guatemala border

• Huella Que Germinan (2018)

• performance piece in which she walked from Tijuana, Mexico to Los Angeles, California in silence, in only 8 days

  
  

Exhibitions

• Suenos Fertiles (Fertile Dreams), Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California, Summer 2018

• Tension, with Tanya Aguiniga, Museum of Art and Design in Manhattan, New York, Spring 2018

• I Am the American Dream, Studio 50 Gallery in Highland Park, California, Spring 2018

  
  

References

• Staff. “Meet Jackie Amézquita of Binational Artist/Activist in El Sereno.” VoyageLA Magazine, VoyageLA, 29 July 2019, http://voyagela.com/interview/meet-jackie-amezquita-binational-artist-activist/.  

• Alonso, Andrea. “This Artist Walked from Tijuana to L.A. to Make a Powerful Statement.” Los Angeles Magazine, Los Angeles Magazine, 27 Apr. 2018, https://www.lamag.com/culturefiles/jackie-amezquita/. 

• Pretelin, Claudia. “Retracing Our Steps: An Interview with Jackie Amézquita.” Instruments of Memory, Instruments of Memory, 22 Aug. 2020, https://instrumentsofmemory.com/2020/08/15/retracing-our-steps-an-interview-with-jackie-amezquita/. 

External Links

• Jackie Amezquita’s website, https://jackieamezquita.com
• Jackie Amezquita’s Instagram, https://www.instagram.com/jackieamezquita/?hl=en

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.

Ojeda, Alejandro: Rasquachismo

Rasquachismo, although often misinterpreted, is an attitude held by those in low-income communities in which resources are saved and made to last. It’s difficult to determine what exactly rasquachismo looks like, because it does not look the same for every person as it is particular to the experience of every such individual. 

In my experience growing up, my family has exemplified rasquachismo in our reuse of certain containers for purposes other than intended. For example, opening up the blue tin of cookies expecting the treat but instead finding common household necessities like sewing supplies (see image below). After reading through some other accounts of similar experiences, it seems as though such creativity embodies the exact idea of rasquachismo in that it's a showcase of the ability to make every last resource available. Eventually, I began to notice this kind of attitude as I grew older and understood the reason behind it, being that it would be a waste to let such resources not be put to use as they are, in most cases, some of the most functional of resources. What seems to be somewhat of an “underdog” concept can, in most cases, be described as the need to survive with what one has. It is for this reason that, in most discussions of rasquachismo, low-income Chicanx communities are often considered to be those who embody this attitude in their daily lives. For those who may not be familiar with it, it is sometimes described as something “poor” for people who “can’t afford” anything new. Yet, some of these same practices continue to become an “aesthetic” for White-dominated spaces. 

Rasquachismo, an embodiment of what some refer to as a survivalist attitude, has been present in communities long since, and has now grown to become a part of the lives of many Chicanx families today. 

Ojeda, Alejandro: Research Abstracts, Melanie Cervantes

“Art Works.” Hispanic, vol. 22, no. 5, Aug. 2009, pp. 32–36. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=f5h&AN=44325162&site=ehost-live.

    This piece sheds light on four artists, including Melanie Cervantes, and the exhibitions that some of their work, and more, has been displayed in. In particular, it gives more information on Dignidad Rebelde and the work Cervantes, alongside Jesus Barraza, have done in regards to creating art. Some of the topics their work discusses include police abuse and indigenous rights. This really highlights the kind of work Cervantes is interested in and, potentially, some exhibitions that she may have been part of. 

“Cover Artist: Melanie Cervantes.” Harvard Journal of Hispanic Policy, vol. 28, Jan. 2016, pp. 40–41. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=149752211&site=ehost-live.

   

    This piece is a biography of Melanie Cervantes, detailing the extensive work she does in her community surrounding issues of immigration and genocide. It gives the reader some insight into Dignidad Rebelde, a project she helped start back in 2007. At the end of this source, we can also find the exhibitions that Cervantes has been featured in (as of 2016), as well as some career background. 

Rachael Myrow. “Chicano Art Wields A Sharper Political Edge In Post-Election California.” Weekend All Things Considered (NPR), May 2017. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=nfh&AN=6XN201705131910&site=ehost-live.

   

    In this segment of a podcast, Rachael Myrow discusses the impact that Chicano art has had on communities in the United States, especially following the results of the presidential election of 2016. Toward the end of the piece, Melanie Cervantes and her work is discussed in the realm of protest art and the forms that they may take. Cervantes touches on the importance of such work, especially the diverse artists whose minds it all comes from.

Ojeda, Alejandro (Week 3)

    Being that I was raised in a Catholic family, my earliest memories of la Virgen consist of the images I saw depicting her in church. Being that my abuela’s name is Guadalupe, my mom has always made an effort to celebrate the day of la Virgen with her and recognize their common faith. I went to church often as a kid, but never really understood much of what went on and why any of what was happening was significant. As I grew older, I started to recognize the relationship I had with the church, and became more aware of the power images of individuals like la Virgen have on those who have faith in them. 

    When I was of age, my mom suggested I take classes to be able to reach my First Communion. Although this was not something I was particularly interested in, I figured it was the right thing to do for my family. After discovering myself and learning more about the church, I realized that I did not align with many of the views and beliefs other Catholics had and followed. Nonetheless, I made sure to set my assumptions aside and have an open mind when learning about God. I did end up completing my First Communion, but eventually formed my own faith and went about my life in that way. 

    Instances such as these remind me that, although the image of la Virgen is similar amongst images depicting her, people can apply those images differently to their own faith. To this day, my mom prays with a rosary on a regular basis and continues to use images of la Virgen when practicing her faith. I know what it means for her, but I also know what it means for me; that’s the beauty of it all.

Cervantes, Melanie

2. Montes, Felicia

3. Amézquita, Jackie

Ojeda, Alejandro

Hello, everyone! My name is Alejandro Ojeda and I am a third year History and Education and Social Transformation double major pursuing a minor in Chicana/o/x and Central American Studies. Some of my friends call me Alex or Ale, although Alejandro is what I usually go with, and my preferred pronouns are he/him/his. I was born here in California in the city of Bellflower and lived in Bell until I was about 9 years old, which is when my family and I moved to Perris. The transition was a tough time, but I made sure to spend time doing some of the things I love most: singing, dancing, baking, and spending quality time with those I love most. With respect to my fields of study, I am particularly interested in framing the history that is taught in public education in the correct set of lenses. In high school, I realized that mainstream history courses continue to erase the experiences and stories of people of color, indigenous communities, and women. These communities are often the ones to shape history, so why are they left out? Moreover, I think a lot can be learned through the physical items left behind from these communities, which usually includes various forms of art and other creative outlets. By taking a closer look at these items, we may be able to recognize what exactly people were doing in the past and how their identities reflected the environments they depicted in their work.

For this upcoming quarter, I am interested to learn more about Chicanx art and artists, especially as it pertains to the history of Chicanx communities as they became more prominent in the United States. I would love to learn about the ways in which these artists used art as means of protest and retaliation, as well as the changes that may have occurred following the actions of such artists. Through the readings, I hope to be able to gain insight on the work that has been done by individuals in contribution to the artistic collective.