Shifra Goldman & Yolanda M. Lopez

In her essay The Iconography of Self Determination: Race Ethnicity, and Class, Shifra M. Goldman discusses the movement of Chicano art in the United States from a social art historical perspective. Goldman mentions that the first stage of the Chicano art movement, which lasted from 1965 to the 1980s. Thus, searching for a self-determined identity, Chicano artists began to celebrate their race, ethnicity, and working class status in their art pieces. Throughout this era, certain pieces of art became elements of Chicano art, such as the Virgin of Guadalupe. Additionally, Goldman discusses the work of many artists in her essay, including Yolanda M. Lopez.

I believe that Yolanda M. Lopez’s image titled Self-Portrait (figure 37, page 65) greatly expresses her own Chicana self-determination. I believe that by creating this portrait of herself, she is portraying herself as a Chicana female who is empowered and greatly takes pride in herself. The book discusses how Lopez developed a feminist voice and how she was involved in the women’s movement, which focused on the female body and representations of women and girls. Additionally, this image greatly expresses Lopez’s self-determination as a portrayal of a strong, independent, and confident Chicana artist who takes pride in womanhood.