Carmen Lomas Garza

Carmen Lomas Garza is a Chicana artist who, through her art, illustrates her culture and heritage. She grew up in South Texas, and her art work often reflects her childhood experiences. The piece I will be writing about today is Barbacoa para Cumpleaños (1993). This painting is alkyd on canvas, and originally 36x48 inches. It depicts a Mexican birthday party. In the painting, there are over 30 people, hanging out in a backyard. Some people are grilling, some are sitting and talking or grilling, and most of them are looking at a little girl hit the piñata. There are Mexican decorations hanging from the house and tree, as well as a birthday cake on the table.

This painting is one of the most relatable and literal paintings I have seen so far in this class. It brings back so many memories of my childhood. One of the reasons I think Carmen Lomas Garza was able to acquire so much success, is because her art actually reflects the daily lives of Mexicans and Mexican-Americans. Even with this painting alone, I am able to know exactly what is going on. I can tell women on the bottom left side of the paining is the grandma, and she is holding one of her grandchildren. I can tell that the clay pots on the table are holding the hot barbacoa and the tortillas. I can tell that the lady in the lavender dress is taking raw carne to the man on the grill to cook it, and the reason it’s in that bowl is because she just finished seasoning it. This is such a relatable painting that captures our culture perfectly. I think it is my favorite.