Week 10, Quarter Reflection (Sanchez, Cassandra)

    During this quarter, I have learned about more than twice the amount of artists I had previously known. Reading two books from the “A Ver” series, having guest artists, and watching my peers present on their artists has expanded my view on artists, specifically Chicana Artists. One of the artists I was able to engage in learning about was Yolanda M. Lopez, who is known for her different versions of the Virgin Mary, and exhibited an inspiring and relatable story through her biography written by Karen M. Davalos. Lopez’s work was not only technically fascinating to me, but also incredibly inspiring to understand the contexts of her works: such as depicting her inner struggles, or depicting her mother and grandmother in the way she knows them best. Among the works of hers that I found interesting is the final piece exhibited in the book: “Mexican Bag” (2003). This piece was far different from her other styles of work; it is far more abstract than her subjective pieces, but the detail of it is simply magnificent to ponder on. 

    Another artist whose work and growth I found extremely inspiring is Xandra Ibarra. Xandra’s work is flexible and varies across subjects and media, she’s pretty much done it all, or would do it all. Although some of Ibarra’s most notable work derives from her performances, the work that appeals to me the most is her prints. The use of her own menstrual cycle’s blood, to create a print of duality by using the blood as the media, and normalizing the narrative behind periods. Her collections of photography are raw but straightforward for the viewer to interpret. My favorite collection of hers is the “Inventory of Exhaustion Series”(2016) where she simply photographed her clothes from previous projects in vacuum sealed bags. As she mentioned in her class visit, the bagging away of these clothes ended a chapter in her artistic journey, specifically “La Chica Boom.” These forms of media are the ones that have appealed to me most, since I last took an art class, and it is inspiring to see her work and try to dive into my own work once more. 

In this course, we have discussed artists and topics that are sensitive to us, and have been vulnerable in sharing these experiences. For example, with rasquachismo many of my peers demonstrated how rasquachismo takes place in our everyday lives; whether it be through recycling or to sustain a lifestyle that is best suited for our situations. This course allowed me to question certain histories, push boundaries on what I have been taught, and embrace the new.