Torres, Cristal

Hey Folks! My name is Cristal Torres and my preferred pronouns are she/her/hers. I am a second generation Chicana from South Los Angeles. I am currently a senior studying Psychobiology with a minor in Chicano/a Studies. My interest in Chicano/a studies began sophomore year when I took Chicano/a 10A where I finally learned the actual history of my community that I was never taught before since LAUSD continues to only teach white-wash history. Therefore, I quickly enrolled to multiple Chicano/a courses and pursued my minor. Through these courses, I gained knowledge of the way many marginalized Latinx communities are systematically oppressed on the daily. Nevertheless, these courses continue to remind me that our existence is a form of resilience. 
I enrolled in this course because I enjoyed Professor Lopez previous course Chicanx M136, Censored! Art on Trial, where I learned the various forms of censorship that occurs in the art industry. I also learned that many marginalized artists are able to communicate their experience and challenge hegemonic ideologies through their art, but are highly vulnerable of being censored. Therefore, I learned the significance of representation. Through this course, I hope to practice my creative and artistic skills. Furthermore, I hope to learn about the history and the upbringing of Chicana Art and become more knowledgeable about Chicana Artists. Likewise, I hope to connect with their art and understand how it relates to the Chicanx experience.
In the reading, "Why have there been no great women artists?" by Linda Nochlin describes the great discrepancy between male and female artists in the art industry. She goes into great detail explaining that the art industry is highly European male dominated which makes it harder for and/or prohibits women to pursue a career in art. She emphasizes how many women were restricted to a stagnant role and endured many limitations that included lack of education and resources due to males holding the power of what is considered art and who gets to produce it. Unfortunately, this European ideology is still normalized today through various institutions. For instance, many schools do not teach youth about the few successful women artists in the 1500s challenging their traditional role, but do teach youth the history of many highly regarded male artists. Likewise, in society, many artists of color are also not taught in schools, specifically artists who are women of color. This just shows that women of color have more obstacles to face and are constantly marginalized in the art world. Nevertheless, they continue to challenge and influence other artists through their art. Therefore, I believe it is important for women artists to become more visible and discussed in mainstream society. However, we must start by changing the narrative/system of who controls art and become more inclusive.