Stencil Update

After being very indecisive, I decided to stencil out my initials and the year onto my journal.
The process of creating a stencil was very frustrating. I tried using a cardboard cereal box,
but when I used my x-acto knife, it did not leave a clean cut. The cardboard became super
flaky and was really hard to cut. After that fail, I decided to use construction paper, but of course,
it got really soggy when I sprayed paint on it. The paint I used was very liquid-y, which is
probably why. This paint was really weird and actually made the pages on my sketchbook stick together. :-(. I had cut out this intricate stencil of a camera, but ended up having to scrap it. I
decided to then use a blank poster that I had. This worked really well. So I then used acrylic
paint and all was well! I decided to add more to the empty space, by painting in white curves.

Week 10: Reflection

As I began the quarter, I felt completely new to drawing, despite having taken some
visual arts classes in high school. As the quarter progressed, I started becoming more
certain in what I was drawing, whether that was a hand, or a doodle. I found myself
developing and playing with different styles. I chose to take this class, as I am a Latinx
photographer and the visual editor for La Gente Newsmagazine. I really wanted to learn
and get better, so I can in turn, improve my art and help my staff. Taking this class really
helped me in so many ways. I even got into digital drawing this quarter. Doing the exercises
and listening to the professor talk about the art process, made me feel really comfortable with
exploring art. I stopped worrying about making mistakes, and instead learned to embrace
them, as the professor often mentioned. I definitely see myself buying another sketchbook
and practicing once this class ends.

As for the learning process, I am so glad I was able to learn about artists like Carmen Lomas
Garza. Her work specifically, has really stayed with me. I find myself feeling her influence
whenever I mess around with the colors for my images. I love her use of vibrant and captivating
colors, and I will not stop editing my photos unless they have that same vibrant essence. I also
really appreciated the calming presence that the professor had in lecture. I did not feel as though
I was ever treated like just another number in a big room. I genuinely felt like the professor
cared about us. The fact that we could doodle in class, just showed how chill the professor was.
So many professors would be really angry. But doodling helped keep me alert, especially since
it was a four hour class. I also loved the presentations, and found myself researching some of
the artists once class ended. Overall, I'm really happy that I was able to take this class.

Week 9: Sandra Eleta

Sandra Eleta really stood out to me from last weeks presentations. While I typically tend to like photographers who don't necessarily come from institutional backgrounds, I really enjoy her work.Part of the reason I love her work, is because of how intricate and complex her photographs are. They really aren't the type of images you can easily recreate. You really have to have an intense knowledge of lighting, composition, and art history to pull of these images. In this image specifically, you can see the attention to detail that she places in her images. She aligns the tree leaf as to appear as wings. I also realized she does a lot of black and white photography. It's sort of her signature, which is really brave in my opinion. Some of her images also feel surreal and like they're out of a fictional story. Every single one of her images has amazing composition. This is especially astonishing, since she is shooting in film, which is something that requires a lot of precision compared to digital photography(where you can manipulate and edit images). A lot of her imagestake on this historical approach. It's as if she uses photography as a means of documenting villages and happenings within her community. I like the way she merges this surreal feeling with a very historical and accurate feeling in her images. 

Week 8: Presentation, Santa Barraza

During the presentations last Friday, Santa Barraza's work really stood out to me. 

Her use of vibrant colors, makes it so that the viewer cannot look away. The use of 

greens, blues, reds, and yellows also create this sense of cohesion, truly solidifying 

the messages within her pieces. When she uses these vibrant colors, she is forcing the

audience to really pay attention to the women she is painting about. These women 

are truly the focal point. The way Santa Barraza positions Selena in this piece is 

important,because she is marking her as the dominant figure. Selena's facial expression

is also very in control and aware of who she is. In this piece, there is a sense of fierceness

that is shown through the reds, her facial expression, and the positioning. However, I 

also feel a sense of sadness looking at this piece. While there are no harsh indicators of 

loss, you still somehow get that. The blues, the wind, the sort of weeping tree portray

this sense of loss. It's only until you look further and harder at the piece, that you realize 

that Santa painted in a halo to pay Selena tribute. When you look further at the piece, you 

can see the way the cloud forms a cross and some doves. Santa's artistry is immensely

thoughtful and honest. I had not been exposed to her work, but seeing it reminded me of 

how all the little details come a long way, when telling a story.  

Week 7: Final Presentation, Thalia Gochez

The artist that I will be presenting is Thalia Gochez. Thalia is an LA-based photographer
that is the daughter of both Salvadoran and Mexican immigrants. Most of her work
highlights the cultural and personal stories of women of color. Thalia constantly
mentions the fact that women, specifically women of color, are often left out and
not valued within popular media. So much of photography is centered around white
women of a specific body size. Instead, Thalia chooses to center her work around
women of color of different body sizes, and that come from different backgrounds.
A majority of her work thus tackles the idea of representation, and who historically
has had access to representation. Part of what adds authenticity to her images,
is the fact that she uses her friends as models, rather than seeking out models
from a specific institution.

Stylistically, Thalia shoots on 35mm film. A majority of her images are shot with
natural lighting, often using golden hour to get this ethereal glow for her portraits.
A lot of her portraits are captured at local shops, markets, 99 cent stores, and
flea markets.

More of her work can be found on instagram @Thaliagochez

Week 5: Carmen Lomas Garza

Part of what makes Garza's work so captivating is her use of color to
enhance the narrative she's telling. As I've been looking through her work,
I feel as though the vibrant colors really help convey memory. The colors
are almost reminiscent of what it feels to look at film photography in a way.
Which is really special, because when you look at 35mm film, you
feel this sense of nostalgia, so the fact that Garza's art has captured this
concept is amazing. As a photographer, looking at Garza's work has
really made me re-think the colors that I implement in my photographs.
I want to get to a point where I can capture color this beautifully.
In this scene, I really love the fact that Garza has chosen to portray
this act of baking and cooking as something that everyone in the family
does. It's not a gendered activity, but rather a familial one that everyone
participates in. I love how at the far left, you have a girl holding onto the
chair, as if she's waiting for her parents to give her a piece to try. The
way Garza adorns the background is equally as special. If you're Latinx
you've definitely been to a home that looks similar to this one. The fact
that Garza can capture all of the little things so well, without missing
a detail is what makes her work so special. From the floral decorations
on the cabinet space, to the calendar with a pyramid on it. Garza truly
captures the essence of family and what it feels like to be at home.

Jazmin Garcia(Photographer)

Hello. I will be doing my presentation on Jazmin Garcia, a photographer and 
director based in Los Angeles. I'm choosing Jazmin because her work is more 
current and her work inspires me. 

Her work can be found on instagram through the username: @Buffalotearz
Her portfolio site is: https://jazminxgarcia.com/

Martinez, Jessica

Hey, everyone. My name is Jessica Martinez. My pronouns are she/her/hers.
I’m a 4th year, who transferred from Santa Monica College last year. I currently live
in the San Fernando Valley, but I grew up and spent most of my life in Koreatown.
I’m a political science major. I was born in Los Angeles, while my parents are from
Sahagun Hidalgo in Mexico. I’m a photographer for UCLA Radio and the visual
editor of La Gente Newsmagazine. So I spend a lot of time playing around in
photoshop, and attempting to make graphics(I really don’t draw, but I always try my best!).
I love film, portrait, and concert photography. I especially love photographing emerging
musicians within the Chicanx/Latinx scene. I’ve only been into photography for about
2 years, so I’m still figuring out my style, but one thing I always consider is who
I’m photographing. There tends to be a focus on things white bodies within the
photography scene, and I knew early on that I didn’t want to contribute to that.
So a lot of my art is of people of color, as I believe we too are all deserving of
having our bodies displayed as art. I also have a radio show called “Chismeando Con
La Gente” through UCLA Radio, where I, alongside my friends, talk about
Latinx politics, media, nostalgia, and music. 

During the reading by Sybil Venegas, I really felt the point where they talked
about how women of color/chicanas tend to be put to the side despite their
contributions within movements. Women of color do participate within the art scene,
but aren’t given the same recognition as white men. White men also tend to control
and curate what art is deemed as “art” and what is not. This further creates barriers
for latinx women to thrive.