As this quarter ends and I think back to all the people that we have gone over in class I am happy to be able to name more Chicana and Latina artists. I never realized how important it is to have Chicana and Latina artists and I never gave much thought to the lack of well-known Latina artists. Through this class, I definitely learned that representation matters and seeing someone who looks like you and can tell their story that is similar to yours matters as well. I also learned that there are so many different forms of art and artists can express themselves in more ways than just paintings. I found that performance artists and installation artists were the most interesting to me. I think these artists made the most controversial art that may not be for everyone but tell their story nonetheless. Throughout the course, my favorite artist was Carmen Lomas Garza because I remembered a part of my childhood that I was forgetting and I was able to see myself and my family and culture in her work. To me, her work was the most realistic and reflected my upbringing, which is what drew me to her work.
I think that this class is valuable in learning more about the Chicana experience and it is important for Chicanas in school to learn about artists who represent them and are aware of the ways in which Chicanas and Latinas are able to artistically express themselves and their experience.
Hello Celeste,
ReplyDeleteI liked that you mention the topic of representation, I think back to when I was growing up, and I never saw famous paintings, artist or even books (amongst other things) that showed people who looked like me or had a similar background. I agree that this course has taught me about artists who are fighting for representation for younger generations so they can see women like us on these platforms. Thank you for sharing!