Week 10 - Reflection

Looking back at my experience in this art course, I have garnered many positive mental mementos, and not a single negative one. Professor Gaspar de Alba and her astonishingly interesting course have aided me in exploring a creative aspect of myself that had yet to reach its full potential. I enhanced my drawing, painting, and presentation skills throughout the course, and for that, I am tremendously appreciative. Although I centralized a substantial amount of my focus on one artist for my presentation, Pola Lopez, there were so many other equally intriguing artists that I learned about. Each artist brought forward new art forms, methods, influences, inspirations, and stories to the roundtable for discussion. Despite only meeting once every week, we covered so much material. I was able to delve into the personal lives of many of the artists I researched, compiling newfound understandings of the life experiences which heavily shaped their artistic preferences. This class reinforced the idea that there is no such thing as someone who is "bad" at art. Professor Gaspar de Alba lead me to master a level of comfortability with art that I, frankly, did not think I was going to reach as soon as I did.

Overall, despite being a Political Science major, I am very happy I decided to take the opportunity to become involved with this course. The skills I was able to practice as the course moved along, are skills I knew I had, yet never bothered to fully develop. I took a spot in the class in hopes of leaving my comfort zone, as well as balancing my courseload out with a fairly leisurely subject matter. Both of these goals were accomplished. Chicana Art and Artists was not only a nice contrast to the rather work-heavy political science courses I had, but it also pushed the boundaries of my interests and introduced me to a new perspective on art. Moving forward, I will be far more open to trying my hand at different academic disciplines other than law and politics. Not only did I develop a more efficient manner of practicing art, I also realized, to a larger extent, the importance of wholehearted open-mindedness and versatility. Many thank yous to all my peers and Professor Gaspar de Alba for making the whole experience all the better. See you all around campus!

Week 9: Cristina Cardenas (Artist Presentations)

Considering the wide array of unique artists that we were exposed to last week, I was having a tough time deciding on one to name as the most "interesting" or "captivating". However, after conducting a small, yet thorough, amount of research on a certain pool of artists, I had my pick. Cristina Cardenas. Cardenas specializes in Mexican Postwar art, as well as more contemporary approaches. Born in 1957, her art transcends the barriers of time, crossing over from one era in the other, depicting images of both the 20th century, as well as the 21st. The astonishing line-up of colors she uses virtually leaves no particular shade untouched,  and no temperatures unused with. She enjoys intertwining warm, and cool, colors in her artwork, which provides for this beautiful, eye-catching visual contrast in her pieces, that places emphasis on the, at times, abstract figures she includes in her images.

Much like many other Chicana artists, Cardenas also interweaves her feminist mentality and Mexican roots throughout her art. With blaring images of strong, independent women, paired with the vibrancy of the color palette she uses, her work just screams "empowerment". The symbolistic appeal to emotions, pathos, is also a vast goal that Cardenas seeks to accomplish in all her pieces. She wants the viewer not to feel bad for, but to have compassion and respect for, the headstrong women in society who have been shunned in society for far too long. Artists like Cardenas are here to eradicate the preconceived notions that men are more capable, both physically, and mentally, than women.

The piece below, made by Cardenas is titled "Flamingo Lips", it was an image that instantly caught my eye, because of the contrast between the cool colors, all around the border and in the background, and the warm colors which make up the woman's body in the image. The female is liberated, free, independent, and capable of achieving prosperity on her own, much like any other woman in any given community. Gender inequality has been vigorously opposed by many Chicana artists throughout art history, Cristina Cardeas is a prime example of that fight in action.

Week 8: Natalia Anciso

Last Friday, as student artist presentations got underway, I was immediately astonished by the wide array of different art forms presented. Beyond that, however, I was also taken aback by the vast assemblage of personalities that were introduced. With some artists having more politically charged perspectives than others, and with every artist having his or her own completely unique intersectional identity, there was much to see. We were able to get through 15 or so presentations, each wonderfully delivered. All artists considered, I would have to note that Natalia Anciso caught my eye to the largest extent. 

Anciso is a Chicana-Tejana visual artist and educator who intertwines both the realities and legends of her upbringing in her art, while also including vividity through color, beauty through form, and pathos through symbolism. Much of her work can be described as "visual records" of her family, community, and the border culture she belonged to, and learned to embrace. She works on a variety of different mediums, from clothing fabrics, to textiles, to garments, and even regular canvas, her art is everywhere. She centralizes her focus on reconfiguring certain art forms so as to tell contemporary stories of life along the Texas-Mexico border. A majority of Anciso's research and work revolves around her personal identity as a Mexican-American, and more importantly, a deeper level of comprehension regarding the various other intersectionalities in her persona. Recently, she has also shifted artistic focus toward the sectors of education, human rights, and social justice. She uses a variety of tools, such as pencils, pens, watercolors, paints, and fabrics to create her artworks. Much like my artist, Pola Lopez, Anciso is keen on exposing the youth to a variety of art practices through non-profit organizations.

Overall, Natalia Anciso is an amazing Chicana-Tejana artist who inspires many to express themselves through positively creative means. She advocates for a diverse number of constructive reformations in society and, through her art, takes the initiative to rally others into the artivist movement as well.

Week 7: Pola Lopez

The artist I intend on presenting on is Pola Lopez. Born in 1954, she is a well-recognized painter who is based in both Santa Fe, New Mexico and Los Angeles, California. Her work can be described as "multifaceted" and "polychromatic" seeing as it is made of different forms, colors, and styles. There is no doubt that she enjoys being experimental with her art pieces, infusing them with rich symbolism and vivid imagery.  To Lopez, spirituality, and energy are prominent areas of centralized focus when beginning a new creative process. She always seeks to preserve her unique style of expression through her enhanced understanding and execution of what she calls, "incendiary composition", bursts of vitality and liveliness in her art. Pola is a full-time artist, and very active within her respective LA community. She has a passion for supporting the educational ventures of the youth, as well as exposing her fellow community members to the art field. She provides an art workshop space in Highland Park called 2 Tracks Studio which dually serves as an exhibition space.

While looking through Pola's ArtSlant page online, I came across a variety of different oil paintings, each one made up of a different combination of evocative colors. One, in particular, Sophia in the Thorny Garden, stood out to me because of the instant attraction I felt toward the piece. This uncontrollable urge to take a closer look and distinguish each and every color, line, and figure. Another piece from the same website that had the same immediate effect on me was Morning Glory ~ Women in the Garden Series, a beautiful conglomeration of colors, and shapes, that simply works. Her art is more than just eye-catching colors and forms, each individual piece reserves its own amount of symbolism and pathos.

Overall, Pola Lopez is a great artist to focus on and anatomize on a large scale, her artistic expertise is something to cherish and admire.

Week 5: Chicana Printmaking and Printmakers

Through reading and thoroughly dissecting Holly Barnet Sanchez's brilliant essay "Where are the Chicana Printmakers? Presence and Absence in the work of Chicana Artists of the Movimiento", I realized that despite making vast contributions to the art movements of years prior, such as in the 70s, 80s, and 90s, many Chicana artists were, and are still, overlooked by society, even within their respective Chicanx communities. Even though Chicana artistic impression was often more honest, and believable, Sanchez discusses how male artists were usually given the spotlight for their artistic depictions of life, culture, and even Latina or Chicana females. Although this was the case, and to some extent continues to ring true, it was the Chicana community that made sweeping advancements technologically, taking advantage of printmaking equipment and making productive strides in both the art and civil rights movements. It was through the usage of printmaking, by Chicana printmakers, that political messages and artivism spoke the loudest throughout the era of hardship and inequality. Although these women were not well represented on the battlefront of these acts of protestation, it was their printmaking contributions that allowed the movement to become as strong as it did, through mass media production, consistency, and bold messaging.

After the dust settled and societal disunity began to slowly dimish, many people began to realize that Chicana artists had strongly established themselves as significant artists who were as, and perhaps even more, deserving of recognition and acclaim than the male artists in society. It is also imperative to note that the historically underrepresented Chicanx community, as a whole, began to garner praise and commendation. Chicana women inflated their sense of importance and reminded themselves that they had a prominent role to play in society, despite what anyone would say. Chicana printmaking, among other mediums of art, have propelled Chicana artists to be equally and justly represented in society.

Week 4 - Rasquachismo and Domesticana

When considering Chicano and Chicana Art: A Critical Anthology, we begin to see that both "rasquachismo" and "domestica" are terms used to describe an either set of beliefs, attitudes, backgrounds, circumstances and societal notions. Initially associated, and paired, with a negative connotation regarding the commonplace working Chicano, "rasquachismo" was also used to refer to the poverty-stricken and impoverished Chicanx communities that existed at the time. The word was not a nice look for the Chicanx communities and the people in them at the time, however, the modern and contemporary redefinition is one to appreciate and respect. The article by Tomas Ybarra Frausto, a prominent Chicanx art scholar, came along with a redefinition for the word, one that showed that change really began to set into motion. He describes the word as being one that referred to an attitude and sensibility that the Chicanx people held, rather than a negative implication of their lifestyles and communities. He worked to reframe the word so it was more applicable by the people it was initially "targeted" at, a turn of the tables.

The Amalia Mesa-Bains article talks about "domesticana" as being a term that sheds light on the circumstances, hardships, successes, and difficulties of Chicana art and artists as it has moved on through the years. It places emphasis and importance on the hard work and dedication of Chicana artists, both in pasts contexts and now in more contemporary, modern settings and times. This word has been very empowering, seeing as it has a centralized focus on sectors of society that have almost always been historically ignored and shunned, women and art. Again, just like "rasquachismo" this word was utilized as a form of power and personal authority, showing other predator cultures, that the Chicanx people would not go down without a fight, and that we were, and still are, as energized, joyful, and empowered as ever.

These changes aided many members of the Chicanx community to realize and appreciate their full potential, whether it was as artists, or as hard-working people. We are made to understand that the more we embrace our backgrounds, stories, and cultures, the more united and empowered we will be in the long run as people. It is our job to rewrite and correct the false narratives, to flip the scripts, and to represent, all-in-all!

Week 3 - Things I Never Told My Son About Being a Mexican (1985) by Yolanda Lopez

From the overarching, broader media series, “Cactus Hearts/Barbed Wire Dreams” comes this mixed media installation titled “Things I Never Told My Son About Being a Mexican”, made in 1985, and one that deals with the life aspects of cultural, and social, adaptation, as well as self-identity and reflection. It is composed of a number of different three-dimensional items that are attached to a large yellow backdrop, items ranging from clothing to pictures, and even some writings. All of the objects included in the project contain symbolistic aspects of the Chicana/o culture that many would recognize and resonate with. The item placement, in and of itself, is asymmetrical, there is no particular pattern to be found for the arrangement, which, in essence, adds the artistic aspect of spontaneity, adding another spark to the installation. The top of the backdrop contains a horizontally long, red zigzag line that stretches from one end to the other, above all the items. The words “THINGS I NEVER TOLD MY SON ABOUT BEING A MEXICAN” are written in big, bold, black letters on the bottom of the backdrop, below all the imagery. Definitively, it is a colorful, vivid, eye-catching piece that cannot be easily missed as you walk through her main exhibition.

This particular set of media installations served as a way for Lopez to strip preconceived social constructs about the Chicana culture and lifestyle away from view, and instead display realistic and authentic perspectives in order to promote ethnic freedom and self-love. Being an artistic activist or “artivist”, Lopez has always been keen on becoming part of the public conversation, chiming in, whether it was verbally through video/documentary projects, or through her art in exhibitions around the world. In essence, the purpose of this installation, and the broader exhibition, are to remind individuals of Latino/Chicano descent not to lose grip on their ethnic and cultural roots, to not allow their minds to be corrupted or manipulated through cultural appropriation, and most importantly to cherish and appreciate where they come from, and who they are.

Week 2 - Pola Lopez

Hello again, the artist I will be choosing for my eventual in-class presentation will be Pola Lopez. Her art is not only captivating because of the vividity of the colors and shapes she uses, but also because of the deeply rooted symbolism you'll find in every single one of her pieces. 
As  Professor Alicia Gaspar de Alba reflects on the CARA exhibition in her brilliantly composed essay, she tackles many of the gender disparity issues that exist in the art realm, issues that should have been dealt with long ago. At the same time, she also discusses the dilemma of lack of representation of Chicana/o people in the art industry as well. This is why the specific reading "Out of the House, the Halo, and the Whore's Mask" hits so close to home for many young and aspiring Chicana artists because Alicia Gaspar De Alba reminds them that they can achieve what any else can, but only by working harder than anyone else can, due to the unfair social and gender dynamics that have existed and, in many cases, continue to exist. A read like "Through Frida's Eyes", really helps put another obstacle Chicana artists faced, into perspective, getting mischaracterized and falsely represented, not getting their real, truthful messages out, because the media and news outlets were controlled majorly by white men. Historically, in any career subfield, people of color have had to make names for themselves, self-represent, in order not to be left out the picture entirely. As many people have said in the past, these big brand industries were not made for people like us, and yet we are still "invading" them and giving our parents something to be proud of. Although I love both of my parents, and understand that they went through many of the same struggles as Central-American immigrants, I also heavily respect my mom as a woman, and a strong one at that, one who has raised and maintained a family for many, many years. Overall this essay and reflection of the CARA exhibition by Alicia Gaspar de Alba is a real eye-opener and one that offers valuable insight in a variety of different ways.  

Week 1 - Guardado, Carlos

Hey everyone! My name is Carlos Guardado, I'm a 1st-year Political Science Major and Public Affairs Minor. I have pondered the thought of double-majoring with English since I absolutely love to write. This is my second quarter at UCLA, and I can say with 100% sure confidence that I love it. I have a vast interest in civil litigation and the stream of legal processes and procedures that come along with it. I have a strong desire for working at a law firm and offering legal insight to clients, within my respective sector of work and study. Some of my hobbies include playing chess and reading. As for the course, I've always viewed artivism as having a strong presence and influence in a number of political and social movements toward change. I've never necessarily been an artsy person, but I've always felt as though I should fully commit and try it on for size. I have always expressed myself either through a literary form such as writing or through a more verbal medium, such as speech and some poetry. 

Personally, I enjoyed dissecting "Why Have There Been No Great Women Artists?" by Linda Nochlin in class, seeing as I really enjoyed getting into the topic of discussion dealing with the importance of definitions and meanings. Modern terminology has a history that traces back decades and centuries, and it is important to know the implications of the language we use. I am also very intrigued by the fights against racial and gender inequality that exist in our society, and the steps activists/artivists have taken to ensure that we create tangible change in every neighborhood possible. To me, art is everywhere, it is limitless and unrestricted, and that freedom, that liberty, is where the true beauty of it resides.