Week 9_Art Presentations

The artist who I appreciate their work and their impact on Chicanx artworld is Laura Aguilar. I wanted to present her in class because I love her work that narrates the difficulties of Chicanx consciousness and flesh living in a white supremacist society. Unfortunately, another student presented her in class. I appreciate how the student presented Laura Aguilar in class and the photos they shared in class. The photos that were presented are popular images, but they do embody who Laura Aguilar is. Laura Aguilar is a Queer Chicanx photographer that rebelled all the barriers put on her by the mass society. She was born with auditory dyslexia but has incorporated her disability as a protest in her photos She took photography classes at Elac and began her journey as a self-taught photographer. She is known for her portraits, self-portraits, and her presentation on intersectionality in her photos. Her work is inspirational to me as the audience. I am a queer Chicanx individual who is on a journey of understanding my flesh, body appearance, nudity, and identity. Her photos have become an empowerment tool for me as a Chicanx student who shares the same struggles as her. 

Aguilar’s photos are intimate and show the vulnerable side of her as an artist. She is showcasing women’s fragility, not as a weakness but shows the strength women have lived in a patriarchal society. The photo below is one of my favorite images that showcases the Chicanx experience of dismantling the term Mexican-American. The photo is called Three Eagles Flying, 1990 and it explores the complex narratives of self-identity as a Chicanx individual. She shares the challenges that Chicanx individuals experience while navigating race and cultural identities as a Mexican, and Mexican-American living in the United States.