I said in my original post for this class that I wasn't an artist myself, but I realize now how art can take different shapes and forms. As a Chicana writer and woman, I can say my writing is art. I really wanted to educate myself on what variety of artists there are as a whole because I could only name one or two. I'm not really familiar with art as a subject so I enjoyed learning about the different forms of art like digital, printmaking, graffiti, etc. and how they connected their work to the culture. I really enjoyed Carmen Lomas Garza's work that displayed typical Mexican family gatherings and traditions, but I really found myself realizing how much her art and other Chicana art take the form of cultural resistance. I wrote about it frequently in my essays, but I applaud how many Chicana women are working in an industry that excludes them and their cultural narratives. As a Chicana woman, I find it difficult to see accurate portrayals of my identity which is another reason I took this class. I was curious to know how Chicana women viewed themselves in an artistic format, but I found out so much more. I was shocked to hear about the own gender discrimination in the Chicano movement. I had no idea that Chicana artists contributed so much to the community and incited great conversation in the art world.
We read a "Graffiti as Art" essay which really changed my mindset about what art is and looks like. I usually think of Western art like an oil painting or the Mona Lisa. I've always admired graffiti as a form of expression, but I was glad to learn it was artistic. I enjoyed my peer's presentation on Sand One, a Chiana graffiti artist. I didn't know how male-dominated the art industry was and even how that translated to street/public art. I think it's appalling how women don't get as much credit or respect as their male counterparts. I appreciate this class for teaching me more about Chicana art and putting these women at the forefront. I wouldn't have known about them otherwise, and Chicana narratives are important ones to be heard.
Hello Yvette, I really enjoyed reading your post and learning what you enjoyed most about this class and what you gained from it. I myself took this class because I was not familiar with many Chicana/Latina artists and had never taken an art class where their artwork was discussed. Im happy to hear that from this class you have gained new perspectives that now allow you to view your self as an artist because you are!
ReplyDeleteHi there Yvette, I aggree with you that writing is a form of art because words can have so much meaning behind them espically in a poem. Even if it's just one word, two words, and or a sentence, they can convey a lot of meaning. It just depends on the writer. It was great having you as a classmate. Good Luck in finals!
ReplyDeleteHi Yvette,
ReplyDeleteI immediately followed Sand One on instagram after our classmate's presentation. Before reading about graffiti/street art in this course I honestly did not know that it could lead to a career.Understanding her struggle makes her art more meaningful to me and seeing her find success makes me really happy.