Week 9: Presentation- Mara Higuera on Sand One

    One presentation that I found very insightful and noteworthy was Mara’s presentation on Sand One. I have seen her paintings all over Los Angeles for many years, so I really appreciated seeing someone take the time to explain the artist and her work. The personal background details provided in the presentation really helped contextualize Sand One’s work and inspiration. I had always wondered how the artist’s work was received by the art community, so I was fascinated by Mara’s explanation about Sand One’s experience with public scrutiny because of her self-taught technique. Personally, I believe her “non-professional” self-taught artistic background lends her more authenticity and notability as a creator. Though her experience was very disappointing to hear, it was not surprising given the fact the Chicana artists (and women in general) are constantly subjugated. I am then compelled to assume that any public criticism actually stemmed from the systemic belittlement of Chicana artists and their potential. Because her subject matter is not centered around the white male experience, it is unfortunately looked down upon, which is why I really appreciated Mara’s celebratory discussion of Sand One's career. Specifically, I was interested in the presentation's feminist reading of her paintings. The illustrated themes, such as daddy issues, gender roles, and “boy troubles”, shed light on personal every-day issues faced by women of color. Through a vulnerable lens, the artist places these issues directly in the face of the viewer, thus calling them to acknowledge the invalidity of discriminatory their gendered construction. Her creative portfolio acts as a radical aesthetic recognition of female-centered experiences that are not talked about enough. As Mara effectively touches on, the artist is very much destabilizing the expectation that women are one-dimensional figures, by artistically declaring that they are complex beings that refuse to fit into a dichotomy. By depicting dolls with complex personalities and characteristics, the artist proclaims that women’s “cuteness” does not negate their empowerment. I loved that the presentation focused on analyzing her art as a declaration that women can be whatever they want to be, both beautiful and strong. I also liked listening to Mara’s discussion about Sand One’s personal artistic practice, specifically her openness to listen to her audience as she creates paintings. It gave greater insight into her collaborative character as an artist and showed that she is always willing to learn. Overall, I think that the presentation did an excellent job at offering rich information about the art and the artist.