Week 8 Monica Kim Garza

Out of the artist presentations last week, I identified most with Monica Kim Garza because of her Korean Mexican heritage and her decision to make artwork for her own interest, rather than subscribing to the idea that artists of color have to make work about identity or politics. With many of the Chicana artists we’ve discussed in this class, many of them have at least some political motives or discuss their Chicana identity. I think that this is often expected of Chicana artists, but less so of white male artists. Therefore, I thought it was unique that Monica Kim Garza was able to make work depicting the female body but not in an overtly political way. However, I do think that her way of depicting women—voluptuous, brown-skinned, black haired, nude—does challenge traditional female nudes with predominantly white, bourgeoise women. I also appreciate how she depicts women doing ordinary tasks while nude, and often dancing. This whimsical approach, along with bright colors and bold brushstrokes, brings a unique energy to the figures. I am still trying to understand the mood that her work evokes—is it happy, humorous, dreamy, or something else entirely? Is there subtext to the bright colors and bold brushstrokes, or are they simply just an expression of the artist’s gesture? The humorous titles seem to suggest an edgy, independent, and feminist attitude, but perhaps her paintings are just a reflection of Garza’s uninhibited artistic process. As someone who is Chicana and Korean, it is also interesting to see the different cultural implications Garza’s work exhibits.