Week 10 Reflection

I'm not an artist, and before this class I thought artists were talented obviously, but I did not think of art as a way to reconstruct images, create new meanings, and even seek social justice. It's amazing how young some artists are too such as Liliana Navarro. She is only 19 and is extremely talented, and has already tried being part of the art world by selling her art. I think what I admire most about her is not only how young and talented she is, but that she sends women empowerment messages through her artwork. She is so young and yet she already has a positive impact on the Chicanx community.
 Her self-portrait  Brown Warrior was absolutely stunning. She includes her indigenous identity through the jewelry and her face painting. She also includes a Chicano power pin attached to her white shirt. She is wearing a beret that reminds me of The Brown Berets which was a formation of young Chicano revolutionaries.

Before this class, I would have viewed her portrait as something vibrant and pretty, but I would not understand or even look for the message that is being sent. Images such as Navarro's portrait can help young Latinas, who are often neglected and stereotyped, see another Chicana who presents herself as a fighter and a warrior.

Also, the artist who I presented on was extremely committed to social and environmental justice. After studying her work, I was impressed how beautifully she displayed a political message, and how obvious it was. Especially her work Las Lechugueras which showed women harvesting lettuce by hand. Latina women have been silenced and undermined throughout history. Art is a way to stand up against this treatment and give Latina and Chicana women a voice.