Gaspar de Alba's Critique of CARA Exhibition

La Fulana by Cesar Martinez

When I was younger I believed any and all representation of brown muxeres to be positive. When I saw the inclusion of a handful (or less, if any) of Chicanas/ Latinas in a movie production, as featured artists in a gallery, or participating in anything a part of American society that's valued, I admired it. For me, I was like "yay, at least there's somebody representing who I am and where I come from!" I was okay with only learning about one Mexicana artist and hundreds of European male artists throughout my entire life. I was proud of learning of the great Mexican-O muralists who challenged capitalist society in their careers, content with not asking about the Mexicanas and Chicanas who challenged society too.

Certainly, during my first year here at UCLA as a Chicanx Major, I've learned to critique the patriarchal structures within Mexican culture and recognize the intersections between those oppressions and white supremacy. However, after reading Gaspar de Alba's critique on the CARA Exhibition, I've realized how spaces meant to honor "Feminist Visions" and WOC artistry are still very problematic because of how the folks who dictate and organize those spaces are not NOT women of color themselves. As a result, in CARA, all of the Chicana artists are put together in one category, and the pieces by men that are supposed to "honor women" actually just reinforce the controlling binaries of "mother" or "whore". For instance, the portrait of "La Fulana", or the "Other Woman" by Cesar Martinez in the exhibition, or the piece that pictured a bride and her mother.

This opened my eyes because I saw how I myself reinforce these perceptions in my paintings, and how others only value women based on their ability to create life, which is obviously not their only abilities as human beings.