Lepe, Kimberley Week 10

 Before this class, I was honestly not aware of how many Chicana/x artists there were.  I was only aware of the typical mainstream artists, that for the most part were white males.  Though not discrediting the work of these mainstream artists, it was nice to see artists that look like me.  As a Chicana myself, it is rare to be able to see a lot of representation in any subject, and for once I was able to learn more in this class.  I am truly appreciative that this opened my eyes. 

The one artist that was really meaningful to me, and that I felt made a big impact was Yolanda M. Lopez.  My favorite pieces were her works with a transformed Virgin de Guadalupe, where she depicts a new portrayal of what the Virgin means to her.  My overall favorite piece of hers was the Portrait of Artist as the Virgin of Guadalupe.  Her illustration portrays the artist herself running with a big smile on her face.  In the right hand, she grabs onto a snake by the neck as a symbol of the runners ability to take charge of her life and sexuality.  It provides value to other Chicana/x women that no image of womanhood is better than the rest.  

The other artwork that stood out to me, and continues to resonate with me is Free Los Siete.  This poster illustrates six Latino men who look directly to the viewer behind the stripes of the American flag.  However, the American flag is printed vertically to symbolize jail bars entrapping the men.  The piece was created for activism and confrontation against those who wrongly accused these Latino men due to their ethnicity.  This piece resonates with me, especially during a time of civil uprising against recent police brutality.  More often times than not, it is clear that the justice system is unfair to people of color, and using art as a form of activism is passionate and inspiring. 

As mentioned before, this class has allowed me to learn about artists who are representative of me.  I finally had the chance to explore the artwork that Chicana/x women create, and learn the names of each of them as well.  I am grateful to take part of a class that recognizes the lack of recognition these artists receive, but also do the
ir best to change that.