I wasn't able to register in time for the online event so, I'm doing week eight's blog on one of the essays.
In the essay Border Art by Gloria Anzaldua, it's incredible how after so many years people, gente Chicana/ Mexicana still search for an identity that was destroyed, stripped away by European Colonizers. We constantly see the rebirth of these art forms, foods, and customs in theater film, performance art, painting, dance, sculpture, and literature. Gloria talks about her experience of going to the World of Moctezuma exhibition at the Denver Museum of Natural History. The exhibition worth 3.5 million is thought of by white people and it angers her because of the way they refer to the dead Aztecs when in fact there are still about ten thousand alive today. The easy also talks about Border Art. Border Art is like Chicana/o Art telling stories of time made of community. It's resistance towards Imperialism. This is what is seen behind glass. A past that has been lost and what remains of it, its history, Identity is all experienced behind glass. It's interesting how the writer's Glorias birth year when looked at the computer represents a Rabbit for the number eight (September) and a Skull for the number 12. These numbers represent what her name would have been in Aztec times, Matlactli Omome Mizuitzli. The name means Fear but also means sacrifice and death. I wonder what my name would have been in those Aztec times. I was also surprised to see an art piece from Carmen Lomas Garza in this reading because I just finished reading her book. It also mentions artist Yolanda Lopez and the painting of her depiction of the Virgen de Guadalupe breaking from bondage. This is also another artist I learned about. This showed me that the artists band together collectively.
Figure 1. Camas Para Suenos, Carmen Lomas Garza
Jesus, thank you for your thoughtful post on the Anzaldua reading. I agree with you and Anzaldua that it is infuriating that mainstream culture attempts to diminish our existence and commodified the beauty of our culture. There is definitely more workt that needs to be done to fix the damage that has been created by the dominant systems of oppression in our country. I do contend however that there is a beauty in Chicanx art represented in mainstream museums like the Denver museum of art. There are Chicanx children that will go to these museums and see themselves represented for the first time in the mainstream. Perhaps this may inspire more children form our communities to pursue careers in art. Thank you again for your post.
ReplyDeletePS. You forgot to tag yourself in your post. You should edit it to get credit for doing the blog.