Hellen Lopez - Week 10

    First, I am thrilled that I learned about new artists in this course, specifically Chicanx women. During this quarter, the artist Yolanda M. Lopez was someone I came to discover. Besides her artwork being astonishing, I found her reasonings and explanations to be very interesting. For example, one significant thing I remember from her was how her art displayed ordinary people doing ordinary things. Most of her art depicted her personal life or herself as the central part. Her art has been very significant to the Chicanx community as she uses themes that many people can connect to. For instance, she is also known for using La Virgin de Guadalupe in ways many people are not used to. Lopez's use of La Virgin de Guadalupe captured herself or people like her mother in that similar portrayal as a form of respect and honor though many might not have seen that image like that. Though some people may not like that type of art that connects others to La Virgin, I do feel that it is not meant to be disrespectful. Creating images that capture brown female faces also made me feel connected to this. Seeing myself or people like me in artistic spaces has never been common around art I have been introduced by at school or museums nearby. However, like others we have learned about Lopez's art in this course, it has represented people like me.

    Nevertheless, I was also positively shocked by how notable Lopez is to the Chicanx community as an artist and leader. Often times in artistic worlds, the Chicanx community is not represented in spaces where privileged people are, and we are looked down upon. Given this information of Lopez, she serves to illustrate her community and be one of the front faces of artistic success.