Calderon, Juliana: Week 9 (Presentation on Ayala Vanessa)

The artist that I enjoyed learning about was Ayala Vanessa. I liked how she created the Chola Lisa. It is a representation of modern culture. It strays away from the image of perfection and gender expectations in a patriarchal society. Instead, it draws rebellion against this system, giving power to women.  This image evoked the idea of breaking from the expected attitudes of gender. We see the Chola Lisa with tattoos and heavy makeup, something that is often frowned upon or at least it was at some point. By including these aspects, it showcases the artist’s feelings concerning the norms. I thought it was very interesting to see an iconic image recreated to represent the aspects of a totally different culture and time. 

The Hindu Guadalupe also was curious to look at. It was interesting to see how though Hindu is not connected to Catholicism, she still drew a connection. It’s as though she feels that both cultures are more similar than different. She painted it in a way where there aren’t many noticeable differences between this image and the original, so the audience is compelled to look at the similarities rather than the differences. She felt so compelled to unite and bring awareness to a whole new culture on the opposite spectrum. 

I also found it interesting to use the Virgen de Guadalupe because as seen before in lecture, artists use this as a point of inspiration, then further the illustration with their own experiences and feelings. Here, we can see that the artist has some sort of reverence for the image, while yet adding her own ideals such as unity. By including the Virgen, it is intended to draw an audience who might not otherwise pay attention with just a new or random image of united people. Through the Virgen, she calls upon her audience who also find this as symbolic.

Overall, I liked these images because the colors were very vibrant. It reminded me of pop art because of it’s very noticeable expression. The use of these colors and techniques forces audiences to look at the image and take its intended message with you. It demonstrates how Ayala feels responsible to present her art to a new era. Her identity has changed and formed through the media and she expresses this through her artwork.. She presents these new identities as her duty to her people.