For this weeks post, I want to highlight the wide variety of artists that we have seen throughout the quarter. I really enjoyed seeing how each artist told their own stories in a different manner yet they all shared something in common, a desire for justice and awareness. Something that I noticed was that a large bunch of the Chicana artists that were presented were from Texas, more specifically, from El Paso Texas. I just thought this was a fun random point because I found it funny since my presentation artist was also from there. It makes sense since many were daughters of immigrant parents who had crossed the border prior to their birth or even after their birth.
What surprised me the most was the amount of Chicana artists that we covered and discussed and the variety of work that was created. One of the most interesting parts of this class for me was when we discussed murals and the process of making them. There’s actually a mural at one of the middle schools back home and I never really paid much attention to it until I realized how much hard work was put into that work. A little story about our middle school, it was going through some really big changes to shift the overall “image” into a more educational one. So the school changed colors, mascots, even the name, but the mural stayed. The mural says that it was directed and designed by Laura M. Tyson which was our HS art teacher. There are several other signatures because some of the students helped to paint it. My interpretation of it is that it signifies how our small community comes together and supports each other, it represents the community as a whole in every section of the mural. It has culture and symbolizes the diversity in our very small community and I think it didn't get removed because it represents more than just the school but rather the whole community. Similar to the purpose of many artists in general, to convey a message that impacts and speaks to the whole community by evoking different (or similar) thoughts and emotions.
Hi Amy, I agree one of my favorite parts of this class was the discussion of murals and how they are made. It is very interesting to know how much time and effort it takes behind creating such a beautiful art piece.
ReplyDeleteI agree Amy! This class has been pretty interesting. I also agree with the common thread of Chicana art and how it is usually activism. I didn't expect that at first, but it makes sense. It really shows how we can participate in activism through our art.
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