Yolanda Lopez's Eclipse 2020 Shabgahi Sani

Yolanda M. López’s 1981 collage Eclipse emphasized how a “singular universal woman,” such as the Virgin of Guadalupe cannot represent the identity of all women. In the image, there is an indigenous woman breast-feeding her baby, a runner and her duplicate, a stele, time lapse photographs of Saturn, a rosage and two images of Guadalupe. One of the images of Guadalupe only shows her face and hands, representing how she is immobile due to the restraints of Catholicism. The Virgin of Guadalupe is the most potent religious, political and cultural image in the Chicano movement. Many Chicanas believed that worshipping Guadalupe was an act of feminism. However, she cannot physically carry women on the road to justice and social equality. In contrast, the young woman is running with her body exposed. Her one foot is in the stele, which represents Chicana’s ancient heritage. Saturn is hovering over her, signifying the future and challenging heteronormativity. Running is more than a sport because it declares independence from males because a runner can travel from point A to point B without the presence of males. Women do not need automobiles or any form of transportation, which is man-made. The indigenous woman is characterized by her physical attributes, and the weight of the baby emphasizes the importance of nursing and motherhood. The most important feature of this artwork is that none of the women are in the center of the image, portraying Chicana hybridity and multiplicity. The main message is that Chicanas are composed of multiple identities and need multiple role models, instead of one traditional Guadalupe divinity.