Week 8

    In “Chicano Art: Looking Backward”, Shifra M. Goldman discusses the Chicano movement, particular when it comes to art, and is critical of the way Chicano art has become integrated into mainstream media. Only recently, has Chicano art really established itself in mainstream media. Keeping this in mind, Goldman is critical of how even now that it is being represented, it’s not being done properly. For example, she discusses how exhibitions today only highlight Chicano art from the past, instead of bringing attention to art of the present and its progression. To support her argument, she draws from one particular exhibition, Califas and Murals of Aztlan, where she points out that they made “no attempt” to represent the movement, and as previously stated, only represented art of the past.  In addition, she discusses what it means for chicano art  to become mainstream, and why it’s controversial.  She  questions how “Chicano artists, at the cost of economic security and possible artistic recognition, continue to express themselves artistically around the same matrix of social change and community service that brought the movement into existence” (437). To be more specific, Chicano art cannot exist in the Western world as something that is mainstream, Chicano art is inherently made in the opposition of western idealistic art. I feel like her points are very valid because although Chicano art of the past brings to light issues that we still deal with today, there is no denying that the movement had its flaws in the past. For example, there is no denying the remnants of machismo still present in Chicano culture at the beginning of the movement; that lack of inclusivity is present in all aspects of representation during that time because it wasn’t considered as big of an “issue” at the time; looking back, younger generations see where the movement failed.