Rasquachismo as described by Tomas Ybarra-Frausto in, “Chicano and Chicana Art: A Critical Anthology”, is an attitude or state of being that can be embodied by people, objects or places. It is this, “adaptability and survival”, approach to life in which a lot of chicanx people find themselves experiencing while adjusting in this country. People use the resources available to them and make the best of it but also frame that mentality with finesse. Frausto describes that rasquachismo also exhibits a polarity to unrestrained and flamboyant articulation. They use the example of alters in people's homes that in a variety of ways display intensity and brightness. 

Extending from rasquachismo is domesticana which in a few words is the feminine interaction of rasquachismo. Building off of Fraustos work on rasquachismo, the writers describe a feminist embodiement of rasquachismo that emerged for women within the chicanx community to assert gender as well as deterioate gender boundaires. It is highlighted that art and expression becomes a key component of domestica for women to both claim and digress from femininity. 

For me something that I feel projects a lot of rasquachismo in my life is my pet snake. A lot of people believe that snakes are the physical embodiment of demons. But from my experience with my snake she’s anything but demonic. She’s a really sweet and gentle snake and she is self efficient. When snakes eat they digest the entire animal and even absorb the moisture from it to stay hydrated which is why they don't really drink water. I think the aspect of her that makes me think of rasquachismo the most is that she uses her environment to shed periodically to then grow. Every time she sheds she produces new skin with reflective bright colors and continues to the repeat that process for the rest of her life in order to survive.

Blog week 5 La Virgen

 My experience with La Virgen De Guadalupe

I grew up in a catholic household with 2 very religious parents so La Virgen was always present in my life. Our grandparents lived with us growing up so they made sure that we had a “proper” religious upbringing. My siblings and I each had our own mini statue of the icon on the dressers next to our beds. Every night our grandma would have us kneel before this old painting of La Virgen in the living room and pray to her so we could live to see the next day. Looking back now I never really acknowledged the intensity that my grandparents placed on religion. But now that I’m “grown up” and have separated myself from the church it’s astonishing that I haven’t processed that until now. There have been many turns in my life but I think the most contentious was when I left the church. I left for personal reasons and never thought about going back but for some reason La Virgen always creeps up somehow. In classes, media, or even in casual conversations. These last couple years her significance had changed a lot being exposed to different theories about her significance and in general her creation. Tonantzin holds the most relatable connection to me more so than the actual painting of La Virgencita.

Although I will admit that that being a chicanx studies major my first year I was bothered by the images of La Virgen. Somewhere deep down I guess that religious part of me that died still holds some kind of gratitude for the Virgen, even though as one of the interviewees said in profes video La Virgen to me is more of an “it” now. It’s interesting to see what she means to different people but I think for me she’s become more of an item of subject than an icon in any form. 

Week 3 Blog: Wiki artist

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Alba Paramo

https://www.saatchiart.com/account/profile/1109813

Alba Paramo is a Latina artist from Mexico. She relocated from Guadalajara to New York in 2010 to further pursue her education in visual artistry. She has since been certified with the art students league of New York and studies at the Tibetan Art Studio. To a news reporter she stated, “my art is rooted in Latin American symbolism, mythology, literature, and cultural history” (SAATCHI ART, 2019). Paramo then goes on to explain this connection she feels between heritage and nature. A connection that is shown progressively through the different media in her art. Her drawings as well as her paintings exhibit depictions of animals alone or with humans in natural surroundings as well as stills of anatomical features of the human body. 

It is clear that this connection she feels between her art and nature is substantial but she also argues that her art is “open ended”. Furthering the scope of her capabilities in her artwork she strives to work with different materials to not only further project the messaging with her art but elevate the connection that the viewers feel both to the art and their own connection with the natural world. I find this to be really powerful because a lot of what I look for in artists is their ability to project different theories in their art that people can relate to. Particularly to this example I see a lot of resemblance from her work to the ideology that I have with our interaction with plants and animals.