Week 10 Blog (Chavez, Lilibeth)

Although we have covered many artists over the course of the term, I wanted to write about Crystal Santillan’s presentation on Britney Garibay this past week because the artist project has really opened up my world of Chicana art, both in the art itself and in the identity of what it means to be a Chicana artist. The work of Britney caught my attention, at only 18, Britney has sparked great attention to her work for using her art as a platform of remembrance for a Chicano history that often gets lost in standard educational modes of learning. In addition, in each of Birtney’s pieces, there is a distinct personal sensation that emanates from her work, creating an additional layer of humanness to her art. Britney really takes control of the narrative she wishes to portray of her experiences and culture through art doing so in a very emotional and thought-provoking way.  My favorite piece of hers was the one titled, “Forgotten Farmers,” in which a case of strawberries entraps various Latino middle-aged figures any of who could resemble a loved one of our own. It was very moving in the way that farmworkers are often held under poor conditions by their work in this country and many times in fieldwork. I believe the title is very appropriate not only in that fieldworkers are the forgotten group in lines of production but also in how little legal and political representation they receive. I think this was especially the case at the onset of the pandemic when the whole world had to be put on pause but field workers could not stop production, thereby putting their own lives at risk for the benefit of the capitalist greed. I also took note of the color scheme of her work, which in my opinion is very somber, highlighting the reality of Latino struggles in the US. Through this project, I have grown my own interest in new artists and find myself researching artists with who I would otherwise probably not cross paths as well as has made me rethink my identity as a Chicana, and Chicana artist. This project has put all the knowledge we have learned into real-life contexts with people who grew up spatially near me as well as similar to me. This is why I wanted to write about Britney for my discussion post.