I wrote quite a bit about this work for the reading response, about Lopez's interest in the formation of cultural imagery and redefining iconic figures. Still, it has just struck me how the subject matter is itself a metaphor for the artist's process of remaking icons in her work. Margaret, Lopez's mother, is shown at her sewing machine working on Guadalupe's cloak at her. At the same time, Margaret is identifying with the figure of the Virgin through the light mandorla that surrounds her. An artist's role as creator is signaled by the subject's own act of creation, both as a textile worker and as a mother. It is interesting to consider the ways that images become icons over time through cultural use, and it goes to show Lopez's conceptual prowess in her work.
Visually, I appreciate the bold colors and the texture from the rag paper surface. The artist's mother is detached from a tangible physical space and instead appears to float in the sky. This image is much less painterly in style than the other two works in the triptych, perhaps suggesting something about the clear working-class image of the subject? I am still trying to discern the significance of the angel at her feet, who rests their chin on their hand and looks up at her. I wonder if this is just a remnant from the original Virgin de Guadalupe image or if it signifies something about the angel's role in holding up the bottom of the Virgin's clothing? Maybe it is just part of the identification.
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