Week 8 Presentation Reflection onJaneen Carlino

Artist Presentation Reflection on Janeen Carlino



I really enjoyed the presentation on Janeen Carlino, the colors used in her paintings were really vibrant and they almost seem three dimensional. Many of the figures in her paintings seem to pop out of the painting and I really enjoyed that because it kept me very intrigued and interested.One example of that could be the rose which is located on the right side of the painting. I felt the rose represented the rose blooming out of the concrete and how there can be beautiful things springing from the ghetto as well. OIt also reminds me of the rapper Tupac's talks on roses blooming from the concrete. He also has a poem that speaks to this idea. I also like how this Artist painted her cousin, the chola figure (gangster) like a saint with a halo on her head as well as the baby she is holding. It was very intriguing to see an ordinary woman painted with such high regard. It reminded me of the " Yolonda Lopez" art and readings and how she also made the ordinary woman seem so much more than ordinary.  Many of the artists we have been studying have done a similar thing with the woman that they decide to paint. This challenges not only the dominant gaze of art but also challenges dominant ways of hegemonic patriarchal thinking as well as religion. The lady in her painting reminded me of my aunt and I also see the people in my family as saints. I like how she not only focused on the subject but also the details in the back of the painting. I feel like I am in the painting because it has so much depth. You can see the palm trees and buildings far off in the distance of the painting and also the closeness of the building. I felt like I was reading a story when I saw this painting. The pay phone next to her reminds me of growing up in South L.A. in the 90's with my mother and the clothing lines reminds me of helping my parents with laundry. This painting reminded me of how beautiful Los Angeles is and my existence growing up in the projects and South Central.