Perez Gutierrez, Richard (Week 10)

    One artist I learned about this week was painter Pola Lopez. I thought the three pieces that were presented were very thought out and hold significant meaning in regards to Chicana culture, the advancement of people of color ,and indigeneity. I felt like some of these pieces really spoke to me since I relate to some of the meanings. 

    The first piece depicts a chola standing in front of a statue of the Coatlicue. Coatlicue is a Nahuatl goddess who is the agriculture fertility deity. They are known for wearing both a skirt of snakes and also a dress typically worn by men. I felt like Coatlicue can represent a mixing of gender and empowerment. This directly relates to the chola identity who at times has to live within a heavily dominant male culture, but regardless is able to continue being in these spaces. The second painting depicts people of color celebrating their university graduations. I as well will be the first in my family to receive a bachelor's degree. I know how hard it can be to navigate higher education when you don't have anyone in your family to help you or understand the journey you're going through. The last piece was the most interesting to me. It depicts multiple identities in a grid of tic tac toe. And the end result is no one wins. Some of the identities depicted were Mexican-American, Chicano, Mestizo, Latino, Hispanic, or Minority. As Chicanos, our identities can be very difficult for us to understand. I thought the message of not having to focus too much on these identities because there is no way of winning. We are a mixture of many identities and this piece was very creative in depicting these feelings that are far too common. 

    In regards to concepts, I was not familiar with the concept of rasquachismo. I first learned about this word when reading Yolanda M. Lopez when in her childhood, Lopez was taught how to make due with what you have through her immigrant family. I did not know this form of creativity had a name. I know my family taught me to make due with what we have when I had a school project or reusing ordinary objects. I was able to see objects throughout my house that can be seen as rasquachismo. It was also nice seeing how other classmates had the same objects and decorations I see in my own house.