2020 Olsen, Eric : Week 3- Portrait of the Artist as the Virgin of Guadalupe

When I came across the titular artwork in the text, Yolanda López’s Portrait of the Artist as the Virgin of Guadalupe, and read the artist’s own words about her intention behind its creation-it stuck with me.  I remember reading that when asked why the work is so popular, Yolanda replied “because it is exuberant.” I think the choice of creating an ‘exuberant’ art piece about Chicana women and indigenous heritage was poignant and political. This work directly challenges and answers the void of independent, purposeful, and joyous representations of women that was lacking in the Chicano art tradition at the time, as the book notes. In the painting, the artist is a tall runner in stride, smiling, and carries Guadalupe’s navy cloak of stars trailing behind her. She is both young and proud of her brown skin and is harnessing her own sensuality which is represented by her symbolic grasp on the snake. Through depicting herself this way, Yolanda shows the independence and individuality of Chicana women. It is a celebration of our ability to exist and thrive as marginalized people. By altering the stance, person, and pose of the Catholicised Virgen de Guadalupe, Yolanda reclaims the Indigenous imagery and identity behind the Guadalupe image. I really enjoyed how the artist accomplished the sense of pride and happiness without including white people and the Catholic Church itself. It is a work for and by women of color.