Week 8: Border Arte

 In the essay Border Arte, Jennifer Gonzalez points out how it takes Western curators to make indigenous cultures worthy of looking at. Also, oftentimes it is white people who take the role of telling these stories and making educational material about cultures that are not there own. Gonzalez describes the unfortunate reality that for many people looking to learn about their culture, they have to go at it skeptically and this can make things more confusing. This process can be described as decolonizing one's mind. Gonzales brings up the Nahuatl word "Nepantla" which describes an in-between state. Gonzales relates this to the borderline which is in a constant Nepantla state, so it has become a metaphor in art that takes on themes like identity or border crossings. Nepantla can be a painful experience because it can make individuals feel invisible or as though they do not belong which can cause feelings of being anxious and confused. However, Chicano/a artists have took on the concept of Nepantla positively by taking control of their diverging identities in their art and by engaging in political change. 

In her essay, Gonzalez includes an an artwork from Carmen Lomas Garza, Camas Para Suenos. The way in which the young girls are sitting on the roof thinking about their futures while their mother prepares their beds for them reflects a transitional space. The girls are going to experience privileges that they may not have had before. Also, their mom may have taken on a domestic role in her own life, but the young girls will have options to pursue other things in their own.