Blog Post 9: Chicana Futurism

 

    Chicanafuturism is a term coined by ​Catherine S. Ramírez. In the article, she refers to Chicanafuturism as the production of objects that results from technology and cultural ideals intertwining. By transforming culture through the use of everyday technology, identity and the future are subject to alterations. In other words, humanism is redefined and the intent of science and technology is questioned. It’s also important tonote that chicanfuturism touches on issues about the present and the future. These themes are especially prevalent in the artworks created by Marion C. Martinez. Particularly, Martinez is known for simultaneously preserving and breaking away from traditional ideas. She does so in order to reinvent the cultural identity of Chicanas and traditions of Latinas by allowing Chicanas to express themselves in the way they want with the use of present tools. Her works are praised because they depict change in a beautiful way. Her pieces are also known for analyzing the harmful ways technology has impacted the environment and the bodies of humans. Technologies that are used for Chicanafutrism artworks are cellular phones, pagers, boom boxes, lowrider cars, karaoke systems, etc. For example, in ​Jesus con la Cruz ​by Marion C. Martinez, the Christ is built from a circuit board and his head is adorned with a crown made of barbed wire. The barbed wire suggests a conquest of technology and it symbolizes the Anglo American expropriation of New Mexico. The concept of combining Chicanos with science and technology is important because Chicanos are typically linked with a basic and unsophisticated past instead of advanced technology and futurism. Specifically, Martinez’s art places Latinx people into stories of science and technology. This is crucial because it serves to challenge racist and sexist stereotypes about the Latinx community when it comes to the field of science and technology.

Jesus con la Cruz by Marion C. Martinez