Sabanero, Angela (Wk 10 Reflection)

 Initially, I enrolled for this course because I thought it would be interesting to take a course that was required for my minor but was especially intrigued by the fact that the course had to do with art. Additionally, I thought the fact that it was centered around women and their art was even more interesting. I felt as though I was lost a lot of the times during the course but I am beyond grateful for the GroupMe group chat for keeping me on track with due dates and helping me ensure I had completed everything that was due. Upon hearing about our Wikipedia project and our role as activists, I was very excited to start the project. However, actually starting the project and following through with it was a lot more difficult, time consuming, and confusing than I had predicted. More than anything I think it was frustrating not being able to find reliable/academic sources on my artist seeing as she was not well known as I think was the same with many other artists. Meeting with Xaviera helped reassure me that I had done as much research as I could to find information on my artist but there was just not a lot of information. Through this process I reached out to my artist Jeaneen Carlino and was able to get in touch with her. When she first replied to my email I felt as though I was communicating with a celebrity because of all the research I had done on her and how much I felt as though I knew her already. She was busy with some projects when I first reached out to her but eventually shared with me some of her images and facts that were nowhere to be found online. Overall, although I did not enjoy this project I am glad I did it because it felt nice to see how honored Carlino was to have a Wikipedia page created about her and the fact that I chose her. 

Sabanero, Angela (Wk 10) Presentations

 Again, this week there were a lot of great artists presented to the class. This wide selection made it difficult to choose which artist and its presenter to choose but I decided on Pola Lopez, presented by Cassandra Sanchez. There were several interesting facts about Pola Lopez which Cassandra highlighted that especially struck my attention. The first interesting fact about Pola Lopez was the fact that she taught herself art. This was interesting to me because her art is so nicely done that I never would've guessed she was self-taught. It also brings me hope because it shows that if you're truly passionate about something, you have the ability to persevere until you become exceptional even if it's without formal training. Something that also really stood out to me about Pola Lopez was the fact that she helped the Brown Berets with a mural. Not only is she an artist but also an activist. Finally, although it was for the wrong school, I thought it was an accomplishment to have her art up at the University of Southern California Latinx heritage banners. I saw this as a great accomplishment because although I may not be a number one fan of that university for obvious reasons, I am not oblivious to the fact that it is a prestigious university and having your art hung there definitely speaks to her talent as an artist. One particular artwork which I especially enjoyed was her "Who Wins This Game?" piece. This piece has several similar but different identifying terms such as "Mexican American, Chicano, Spanish American, Latino, Mestizo, Hispano, Minority Other, and Hispanic" on it. I really liked the fact that this poster aims to show that there are so many different ways one can identify themselves with. We should not feel as though others can label us because we get to choose what terms we have stronger identifications with. Also, it is relatable in the way that it shows that sometimes having all these terms to choose from might make it difficult to know which is the "correct" or "right" term. This may sometimes feel overwhelming but at the end of the day we get to decide. 

Sabanero, Angela (Week 9) Kristy Sandoval

 This week I felt that there were a lot of interesting artists that my peers brought up so it was pretty difficult having to choose which artist to write my blog post about. For this week's blog, I'm choosing to write about Kristy Sandoval who was presented to the class by Sasha Rodriguez. There were several things which drew my attention to this specific artist. One of the first was the fact that she has created over 50 murals which is impressive seeing as murals are such large projects. Also, I appreciated the fact that her murals honor Chicana women as free and without expectations placed upon them. This makes me as a Chicana women, feel as though I get to lead my life the way I choose and not the way others expect me to because of something that is out of my control such as my heritage. Finally, I also really liked her mural "Freedom Fighter". What I especially liked about this particular mural was the fact that instead of spelling women with an e as it is spelled, she spelled it as "womyn" with a y because as she explains, women do not need men to stand on their own. I really appreciated this aspect of her mural because it spreads an empowering message for women. A message that says that women do not need a man to do anything, things like creating change in social movements for example do not need a man at the head of the movement, women are more than capable of doing it on their own.

Sabanero, Angela (Week 8)

The presentation that I am choosing to write this blog about is on Brenda Barrios. She was presented to the class by Armando Perez. Armando, if you're reading this I really enjoyed your presentation and your artist. I'm not sure if you chose Brenda Barrios randomly off the list we were provided with, or if you actually did a good amount of research before coming to your choice in artist. However you did it, I really enjoyed that you were able to show us the art that Brenda has created because it is art that relates to today and the current states of the world. This aspect of the art made it more enjoyable and personal to me because I feel that because I can relate, it is something that is able to connect me to a complete stranger and countless others who are currently experiencing these novelties. In particular, her piece, Vaccines for the Community was one that contained a sense of relatedness. Similar to today, like in San Bernardino (as shown in her piece), there are many cities or locations where residents choose not to get the COVID vaccine. In general, I can appreciate the fact that she creates activist art. Her murals and banners placed on widely viewed areas such as hospitals bring attention to the cause. This in turn can garner increased awareness whose support would be highly valued on the road to change. Additionally, her art's reach to London is an especially unique experience that I found very interesting. This level of exposure is also important in creating change.

Sabanero, Angela (Wk 7- Claudia Zapata)

 Zapata's essay, The Rise and Impact of Chicano Graphics, brought to light how digital modalities are changing arts role in activism. The points brought up in her essay were not entirely new to me, but they were not points whose impact I had really paid attention to until reading her essay. For example, in the beginning of her essay, Zapata mentions how these new digital modalities allow for easier and more accessible dispersion of activist information. I found that I was able to relate to this fact because I remember how quickly movements such as that of the Black Lives Matter Movement spread on social platforms such as TikTok and Instagram. While this did inspire some debate about whether this spread was productive or not, I cannot say that being on TikTok did, in my opinion, seem to allow for more eyes to view the movement. Now, one particular digital modality, a webpage, which intrigued me was Jacalyn Lopez Garcia's Glass Houses. In her website, viewers are given the experience of "walking" through Garcia's house as they click past images of portraits in her home and mundane items such as slippers. This website allows for viewers to feel as though they truly are there experiencing a tour of Garcia's home and essentially putting themselves in her shoes. This is especially important for activist movements as viewers are as better able to understand and feel what the artist does which creates a bridge in possible empathy gaps. Bridging this empathy gap allows for those who might not have been on the side of the activists to have a shift of heart and thus create change. This in addition to the fact that it is online where it is possible for nearly all of the world to view or interact with her website allows for faster results in activist goals.

Sabanero, Angela (Wk 6 Xandra Ibarra)

 Xandra Ibarra, also known as La Chica Boom, is an Oakland based artist who produces in my opinion, bold art. While her art is sometimes interpreted as being obscene, to me it is admirable that she continues to produce the same styles of art regardless of what others might interpret it as. There were two pieces of photography that caught my attention and left me intrigued. The first was "SAD FUKS" and the second "Views and Cast of/from My Mail Slot on the 30th day of Quarantine". The first, SAD FUKS, drew my attention because of the medium used. It was especially interesting that these collection of photographs all consisted of a mattress in various random locations with different messages spray painted on them. This was interesting because the first mattress message reads "Harta de Esperar". From the way this message is spray painted on a random mattress in a random location, I feel as though the frustration of the artist is felt. They are so tired of waiting that they felt the need to write their message somewhere, anywhere. This theme of frustration is then shared across all the proceeding photographs in the collection "SAD FUKS". The second collection of photographs, "Views and Cast of/from My Mail Slot on the 30th day of Quarantine", were especially interesting to me because of how relatable they felt. This collection features pictures which appear to be taken from inside a mailbox looking out into the world through a slim slot in addition with completely blacked out slots. During quarantine, I too felt as though I was looking at the world through a tiny slot with no real access to anyone or anything but what I could see from out my windows. Additionally, on the days I spent almost entirely in my room, I felt as though I was in no way connected to the world around me and was in a sense living in my own bubble in which the world was blacked out. A question I have for Xandra Ibarra would be if this is a similar feeling she experienced when capturing her photographs from this point of view.

Sabanero, Angela (Wk.5 Carmen Lomas Garza)

 

    One particular etching that stood out to me was Curandera II created by Carmen Lomas Garza in 1979. It stood out because of how instantly relatable it felt. In the book Carmen Lomas Garza by Constance Cortez, the image is not in color as it is here and I think that ironically, that made it stand out to me even more. The reason for its relatability is that my family places a similar importance and belief in the healing power of herbs like "ruda" or savila. Another unique quality of this image in the book is that it is mainly a brown tint with specific areas of the painting that receive color such as the flowers around the blanket. This helps to place an emphasis on the relationship between the woman lying in bed and the curandera who is aiding her on the side of the bed. This relationship brings a sense of comfort. In this image, the curandera is using ruda to cleanse the woman and help her moving forward. Although it is not the same situation, I see my mom as my own personal curandera and so I relate to this intimate relationship between the two. Similar to the curandera, my mom is always the one to find any and every way to help heal me whether it be mentally or physically. 

    The room setting in this image is also very detailed. These seemingly unimportant details are what further helped me to relate to this image. Were I to be sick, my moms room was where I would retreat to. Her room also had the cross hanging, an image of the Virgin Mary somewhere in the room, along with her fuzzy pantunflas and a sewing machine at the ready. 

Sabanero, Angela (Wikipedia Article Draft)

 

Wikipedia: Artist Biography Article Template

 

Jeaneen Carlino (1900–2021) is a visual artist known for her feminist focused art. Her art aims to highlight the undeniable strength which women embody.

 

Biography (or Early Life and Education)

Jeaneen was born …  She is a Los Angeles based artist who graduated from the Art College of Design located in Pasadena, California in 2007. Growing up, she drew inspiration from her grandmother’s home which was decorated with Mexican, Native, and Spanish art. Her art is inspired by her introspection and as she evolves so does her art. Several different pieces of her are located at places like the Museum of Latin American Art, the SPARC LA Art center, and La Luz de Jesus Gallery.

 

 

Art  (or Notable Works or Selected Works. Also Exhibitions, Projects, Collections)

·        Womb Of Man- https://www.jeaneencarlino.com/portfolio-cholas/5x4ol41wqsnq899xef501w3vzuteg3

Created in 2006 using acrylic ink and graphite, Carlino’s piece is inspired by her cousin who was a Chola. At the time, Chola’s were not socially acceptable yet Carlino admired and saw the strength within her cousin regardless of society’s opinions.

·        Rising Like Corn- https://www.jeaneencarlino.com/portfolio-warriors

Created by Jeaneen Carlino in 2007 using acrylic, gold leaf and colored pencil. Carlino depicts the strength of women , specifically the strong women who fight for their communities. This piece was inspired by Zapatista women who perfectly exemplify strong women.

·        Produce Goddess- https://www.jeaneencarlino.com/portfolio-murals

Using acrylics on the wall, painted in 2017, Carlino includes the very well known Trader Joe’s. For a while Trader Joe’s was the location at which Carlino worked at while she transitioned into embracing her career as an artist.

 

References

1.    ^ http://voyagela.com/interview/check-jeaneen-carlinos-artwork/

2.    ^ https://desmadrearte.wordpress.com/tag/jeaneen-carlino/

3.    ^ https://artform.store/blogs/artform-culture/interview-jeaneen-carlino

 

Further reading

·        Work in progress

·        Work in progress

·        Work in progress

 

External links

·        Jeaneen Carlino, https://www.jeaneencarlino.com/

·        ArtistADay https://www.artistaday.com/?p=2057

Sabanero, Angela ( Rasquachismo)

 After reading the pages in Chicano and Chicana Art: A Critical Anthology , Rasquachismo to me is similar to the definition of grit. Having the ability within oneself to overcome any obstacle by doing whatever it takes. It is also an attitude, one that I aim to embody. An attitude in which the person can recognize any judgment they are receiving but doesn't allow it deter them from continuing to go about as they were. The term also makes me think of people who are able to make good lives for themselves even when they come from places where no one would expect that from them. While some may use the term as a slur or with a negative connotation, I think that makes it all the more empowering. People love to hate on the "under-dog" and I think that only makes me want to root for them more. From my personal life, I can attach this term to one of my high school experiences. In high school I played basketball at a tiny school with not so tall or athletic girls. Most of the girls were Hispanic as I am. The schools in our league constantly underestimated and joked about the school and its sports as it had been historically disappointing. Over the summer we developed our skills but it was not at all easy. At the end of league we ended up beating every school in our league, making us league champions. This experience I would say showed the Rasquache character within all of us. 

Sabanero, Angela (Abstract for Jeaneen Carlino)

 https://artform.store/blogs/artform-culture/interview-jeaneen-carlino

    In this interview with Artform from 2019, Jeaneen Carlino's background and experience with art is discussed. Carlino discusses how she began her art journey and where she draws inspiration from. Much of her art is influenced by her grandmother and her home which had lots of cultural artwork. Carlino's art focuses on women and their undeniable strength. She also discusses the support or lack of, that she has felt from her community being an Angelino artist.

http://voyagela.com/interview/check-jeaneen-carlinos-artwork/

    In this interview with VoyageLA from March 2019, Carlino talks about how she began her path as an artist. Although she did not follow a linear path to get to where she is, she describes how working at Trader Joe's played an important role in helping her rediscover her artistic talent and passion for art. Her art depicts many ethnic attributes which resemble her Chicana roots. In doing so she aims to promote self-love. The art she creates serve as tools to help her become her best self and in turn help other women do the same.

https://desmadrearte.wordpress.com/2009/04/15/jeaneen-carlino/

    In this interview with Desmadre Arte, published in April 2009, Carlino shares about herself and how her work fits with her life. She uses bold vibrant colors along with abstract patterns in order to make a statement. Fitting into a certain mold or expectations others might have for her is not her style. 

Sabanero, Angela (Week 3)

Growing up, I remember that the image of la Virgen de Guadalupe played a greater role in my life than it does now. When my siblings and I were younger, some of our summer break was spent vacationing with my family in Mexico. My grandparent's home had lots of images of la Virgen de Guadalupe along with little statues or necklaces with her image on them. Not only did I see her image in my grandparents home but also in little shops nearby and in the homes of our family friends. It seemed that every home/location we visited had some type of image or jewelry of la Virgen de Guadalupe. However, as we all grew up and got busier, we stopped taking yearly trips to Mexico. This greatly impacted how often I saw the image of la Virgen de Guadalupe. While my mom still keeps images around, it is not nearly enough as I used to experience before. This may be due to the fact that many of the people living around me now are not Hispanic and do not practice the Catholic religion. Additionally, I remember that growing up my mom made sure that I understood who la Virgen de Guadalupe was and her significance in the Catholic faith. She told me of la Virgen de Guadalupe's story because she thought it was important as preparation for Sunday School. Being enrolled in Sunday School also increased the amount of times I saw the image of la Virgen de Guadalupe. However, I feel that in Sunday school, while she was still important, she did not play as big of a role as she had when I would visit Mexico. I believe this also may have been due to the fact that my Sunday school classes were not in a predominantly Hispanic area but I am not sure.

Jeaneen Carlino

 2. Julie Zarate

3. Amina Cruz

Sabanero, Angela (Angela)

 Hello everyone! My name is Angela Sabanero and my preferred pronouns are she/her/hers. I am a third-year Psychology major. I have yet to delve into research but I am interested in working on research having to do with either social or developmental psychology. There are two main reasons why I am interested in this course. The first reason is that I have always admired art from afar and seen it as something that allows people to express themselves. However, I have never given myself enough time to really develop my interest which is why I think this course will help me do so. The second reason is that being a Chicana, I sometimes feel embarrassed by the fact that I only know the more celebrated artists like Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera. With the help of this course I hope to become more well versed in Chicana art and the community. I think art has a powerful way of expressing and revealing unspoken stories and emotions which is why I’m excited to learn the stories of the art introduced in this course.

I am also pursuing a minor in Chicanx studies. So far the courses I have taken have mainly been about the history of Chicano communities and the experiences they have undergone. I found that while these courses were history related, which is not often my favorite subject, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed learning more about my roots. I figured that while the history aspect is important, in order to be well versed in Chicana history and the community, it is important that I venture out and explore other areas. The readings served to empower me and made me that much more excited to partake in the Wikipedia project as I am excited to acknowledge and credit lesser known Chicana artists.