Yolanda M. Lopez's "Madre Mestiza"

One of my favorite pieces from Yolanda M. Lopez's repertoire is her mixed-media collage entitled Madre Mestiza from 1978. This collage depicts the image of a Mayan woman breastfeeding a young child superimposed on the traditional image of La Virgen de Guadalupe. There is something so poignant about having an indigenous mother depicted as the Virgen, especially given the indigenous roots of this icon. Her gaze is averted just like the traditional Virgen but instead of being bowed in prayer, she is focused on the face of her child. Not only that, but her huipil can be seen lifted to expose her breast to the child, which is in sharp contrast to the fully covered dress of the Virgen. It brings the symbol of the Virgen, the Radiant Mother, into the world of ordinary motherhood. It is important to note that an actual child is being depicted, as opposed to a metaphorical idea of motherhood. It is visceral and real, flesh and blood and not some lofty idea of motherhood. There's something comforting and grounding about seeing a mother, like anyone else's mother, be depicted as the contemporary version of the Virgen. It is a powerful form of representation and reclamation of space and existence that is very different from the ways in which the Virgen is usually depicted in the majority of work found throughout the Chicano Art Movement. Madre Mestiza is not meant to be a symbol for religious or spiritual worship. Nor is it meant to be a vessel for the ideals of the Chicano movement; but rather a representation of ordinary mothers for ordinary mothers.