Week 10 Bella Lang

 

Cruz, self portrait by Emilia Cruz

This class has introduced me to a large variety of talented artists, and it has been such a great experience to be exposed to their unique pieces of art. This past week, I loved Perry Hernandez’s presentation on Emilia Cruz, a first generation Chicana artist. Her online gallery is beautiful, and there, she has 3D sculptures, drawings, and paintings. Her work displays messages on vulnerability, self-love, and empowerment, and are strongly influenced by her Mexican background. In an interview I found online, she reveals that she hasn’t always been proud of her physical appearance and culture, but through art and coming to this realization, she has healed and grown (https://journal.malcs.org/artistas/past-artists/emilia-cruz/). A piece that I love is her self-portrait titled “Cruz,” where she is depicted wearing a red dress, a leather harness, bold makeup, and holding blue flowers. She says that the red dress is one that her prima gave her from Tijuana, and it represents passion, anger, power, and also love. Her harness shows her rebellious side of her personality, and she wears a cross necklace around her neck to show her religious beliefs. The way she painted her blue aura is mesmerizing, and it contrasts beautifully with the red she wears. 

Aside from the presentations, an artist that I loved learning about in this class is Yolanda Lopez. I admire her strength and ability to turn her hardships and life-shaping experiences into beautiful works of art. Her art radiates feelings of individuality, freedom, femininity, and power. Her outlook on life and perseverance inspired me, and I hope to see multiple pieces of her art in person someday. Her series titled “A Donde Vas Chicana” stood out to me because of the meaning behind it. Lopez compared a runner’s short-lived burst of speed to women’s physical and mental sustaining power of endurance. She also painted herself running to represent her want to regain control of her own body during college. As a college student, I can recognize how easy it is to feel overwhelmed with responsibilities and as if you don’t have control. Although I did not have a similar childhood nor upbringing as her, I relate to some of the feelings she had during college, and seeing art representing those feelings is comforting.

Lang, Bella Week 9

 

This week, I have seen many more amazing presentations, and decided to dedicate this blog post to Sand One; I simply loved her work and loved listening to the great presentation! Sand One is a Chicana artist born in East Los Angeles, and through her social media and galleries, she speaks on her personal experience on being a Chicana in LA. Her most well-known work are the dolls she creates, which represent ideas of feminism and female empowerment. Some think of her dolls as a form of pin up art. In an interview I found of her online (https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/latinx-heritage-month-l-street-205941899.html), she reveals that she has always been proud and secure within her culture, which is a beautiful and commendable characteristic, considering how assimilative LA can be. The confidence and pride she holds is reflected in her art, and she says, "I can speak however I want. I can use as much slang and profanity as I wish, and it’s okay because I have an audience that understands what I say" (Sand One). Her dolls are exaggerated and bold, with lots of eye makeup, blush, lipstick, jewelry, and revealing outfits. One of my favorites was a doll with brown hair and eyes, holding a "censored" sign over her chest, with tattoos on her arm and a spray paint can in her hand (I attached the image above). Some may look at this and think the dolls sexualize women, but they are rather meant to empower women, and highlight their beauty, independence, and freedom. It's also important to note that the dolls are always depicted on their own, without a man to support them. In the interview I found, she gives advises to other artists to not let emotions get in the way of their art. I thought this was unique, because most artists talk about how their emotions fuel their art or are the basis for their work. I think her advice shows her admirable carefree and unapologetic personality. 

Lang, Bella Week 8

 

All the presentations I have seen so far have been very informative and simply great all around, and I have loved learning about new artists and their work. I decided to write about Brenda Barrios (presented beautifully by Armando Perez), simply because her work was captivating to me. I also loved the fact that she's currently studying at UCLA! She can serve as great inspiration to those who are in school and want to pursue art outside of their studies. I love digital art, and Armando Perez chose to present 3 pieces that were all digital. I loved the bright and bold colors he pointed out, and her ability to speak on current and relevant issues throughout her work (I.e. one of her works encouraged citizens to get their COVID vaccine). I was doing some research on her art, and I love her piece that headlines "I'm doing my best." The pink and purple hues she uses are beautiful, and the message behind the work is touching. I've noticed some of her work touches on mental heath, which is so significant, especially during one's college years. This piece was featured on the website "Shoutout LA," where she talks about how her art serves as inspiration to those who struggle with thoughts that they aren't doing enough. In this interview, she says, "What sets me apart from others is that I believe that we all have something to offer," and, "I learned that there will be so many struggles in life but never give up; keep on shining even if you are the only one holding the light" (Barrios). I admire her positive outlook on life and people in general, which is reflected through her art. All of her work has such a lighthearted and uplifting tone to it, while still portraying a strong message to the viewer. I would love to see her art in person and hope that I run into her someday at school!

Bella Lang- Claudia Zapata

 I personally enjoyed reading Claudia Zapata’s Printing the Revolution and learning about how printmaking/technology in general have helped the Chicanx movement. Printmaking and portraiture are unique forms of art, ones that appear bold and sharp. These characteristics allow artists to layer their art, and convey messages very clearly. For example (this was not in the essay but I thought it was a good example), Amado M Peña Jr.’s work speaks volumes on police brutality. One of his portraits, which was a screen print, shows a 12 year old boy who was shot and murdered by an officer, which was based on his school portrait. Recreating this school photo in color and adding the blood on the innocent boy’s face is more powerful than the photo alone. His smile is pure, which directly contrasts the violence in the portrait. The background that he added gives the portrait depth, and creates a darker tone.  

On page 147 of the book, Zapata talks about Xico Gonzalez’s work, and how she used the HP Reveal app to share her work with other artists and creators. Her work and use of this app shows the importance of technology in exposure and publicity. Through the Chicanx and other civil rights movements, voices must be heard, and apps like these give people a chance to speak to the public through their art.

For my wiki project, I am writing about Jacalyn Lopez Garcia, whom Zapata talks about in her essay. I thought this was very interesting, and I loved to hear Zapata’s perspective on her popular work titled “Glass Houses.” Glass houses is an immersive website that takes the viewer on Garcia’s journey of cultural identity. Zapata highlights the question Garcia asks; “How do we survive in a world driven by assimilation and maintain our cultural identity?” This question is not fully answered in the Glass Houses, website and is left somewhat to interpretation. Glass Houses was just another innovative and powerful way technology was used in the Chicanx movement. Because her website was online, it was easy to access, from places all over the world. Many people would not have been able to see this work if it were in a specific gallery or location; the internet gave her a larger audience to speak to.

Xandra Ibarra - Bella Lang

 Xandra Ibarra, or at times known as La Chica Boom, has produced a wide variety of art, ranging from abstract sculptures and photos to videos on sexual empowerment and freedom. Her work has been seen as controversial to some, and one of her videos has even been taken down on account of “obscene content.” Although some of her work is more provocative, it can be seen as empowering and unique. She aims to give a voice, or freedom of voice and expression, to the Chicanx community. Her art has a strong cultural value that people may overlook at first glance. By doing some research, I have found that many Chicanx citizens have thanked her for her work, and say it has helped to allow them to express themselves more freely (Sleek Mag- https://www.sleek-mag.com/article/censorship-performance-queer-artist-xandra-ibarra-means-latinx-artists-free-expression-usa/). 

One piece of her work that caught my eye is titled “THANK YOU, IT’S VERSAYCE.” At first glance, you do not really know what is standing before you. A mix of heels, props, tools, hair, lights, hooks, and ropes are intertwined and hung from the ceiling. On her website, she reveals this piece “draw[s] on camp expressions of sex and sexuality” (Ibarra). The stripper heels and wigs stand out, and the clashing colors are almost aesthetically pleasing. The fact that she has made art from objects that would be deemed “sexual” in society creates a certain sense of freedom and power. It almost seems as if she is taking power of sexuality without shame, and encouraging others to do the same. This art is inspired by the quote by Nomi, the ingenue stripper in the movie Showgirls. I think it is somewhat fitting that she drew inspiration from this movie, as it soon became a scandal for its nudity and provocative tone. Through this piece, she is speaking on how one’s sexuality shouldn’t be something that is hidden, but should be something freeing, unique, and unapologetic, even if it isn’t fully accepted by others.

Week 5 Post (Carmen Lomas Garza) Bella Lang

 Carmen Lomas Garza is a Chicana artist known for her art representing her daily life, cultural/familial practices, and traditions as a Chicana growing up in South Texas. One of her images that stood out to me is titled “Tamalada” (1988). It is an oil painting that depicts the labor-intensive process of making tamales in her home. In this painting, you will find her family working happily as a team, each with different tasks, such as placing the filled hojas in a pan, separating the dried hojas, extracting the corn silk, etc. Garza’s father stands in the doorway, holding a little girl at his feet. Garza says that this position references the manner in which her father taught the children in her family how to dance. Everyone’s facial expressions seem happy and focused, which suggest they are enjoying themselves. This image stood out to me because it radiates a certain comfort and intimacy. Just looking at the painting creates a sense of warmth, coziness, and the feeling of being home. We can imagine the conversations happening, the smell of the tamales, and the sight of everyone coming together that Garza was trying to replicate through this image. The bright and bold colors work together beautifully, and the lack of shadows and voluminous depth reveal Garza’s traditional folk art-like style. This image shows the closeness of her family, and how certain traditions, such as cooking, can bring the family closer. This image was displayed in an exhibition next to other paintings that showed her other childhood memories, many of which also show her family or extended family performing tasks such as cooking, dancing, singing, healing, and painting. While many Chicanx artists showed more political and serious images in their work, Garza takes a lighter route, and shows how everyday tasks and traditions can bring people together. Although these traditions may vary by culture, the general sense of comfort that they bring creates, or should create, a sense of unity for all ages and ethnicities alike.

Wiki Draft Bella Lang

 Jacalyn Lopez Garcia was born in Monrovia, California in 1953. She is a Chicana artist and activist, and focuses on visual and performing arts. She has excelled in many areas of art, such as photography, painting, playing musical instruments, and theatre. Her art has been featured in museums, newspaper articles, universities, and even in books. She is best known for her interactive art website titled “Glass Houses,” which touches on ideas of immigration, injustice, cultural identity, and her personal experience growing up as a Chicana. 

Biography

Early Life and Education

Jacalyn Lopez Garcia was born in Monrovia, but spent most of her childhood in Santa Ana, California. Her father was born in Colorado, and her mother immigrated from Mexico. Garcia spent many years in school. She received her associate’s degree from Santa Ana Junior College, and continued on to get her bachelor’s degree in Studio Art and Photography from UC Riverside in 1997. In 1999, she earned her M.F.A degree in Photography and Multimedia. Clearly, art is something she has a strong passion for. 

Careers

Garcia’s interest in photography was sparked by her job as a darkroom assistant for her husband. She gained experience through this, as her husband owned García Advertising, and other businesses that exposed her to a career pathway in art. She later went on to be a choreographer and instructor at Riverside Repertory Theatre, a family owned business. She continued her career in the theatre industry working for the Department of Theatre at UC Riverside. Gaining experience in all of these industries inspired her to take the next step, and become a professor at Riverside Community College. She taught a variety of classes there, ranging from Multimedia to Art and Photography until 2017. She now manages Goldie’s Farm Artist Retreat and Spiritual Healing Center located on the west shore of the Salton Sea. She manages healing sessions, art classes, presentations, and inspires healers and citizens to touch base with their artistic side.

Glass Houses

Garcia is well known for her website titled “Glass Houses.” Her inspiration for this work was her personal experience as a Chicana growing up in the suburbs of California. This immersive website was highly anticipated before its release, as it was featured in newspapers and online articles. In this website, the viewer is seen as a visitor, who walks around Garcia’s virtual house. Each room has its own gallery of art that touches on issues of cultural sensitivity, oppression, injustice, immigration, and much more, and navigating through this house creates an intimate experience for the viewer. Unique rooms include the closet, where Garcia states that the secrets are hidden, and the kitchen, which acts as a message center to reach Garcia. 

Garcia’s use of dark irony helps portray the struggles that the Chicanx community experiences in modern day America. Her art shows that corporate greed and the divisions economic institutions have created often make it hard for the Chicanx community to see the opportunity everyone speaks of. 

Life Cycles: Reflections of Change and a New Hope for Future Generations

This documentary project explores personal stories and the overall historic patterns of immigration to the United States. The California Council for Humanities funded this project, which allowed Garcia to follow seven families who worked in the farming industry. Through this documentary, we follow along with her and see first hand the struggles these families had to bear. Garcia felt that immigration was a neglected topic in popular media, and created this project to help shed light on what people go through to reach a new promised land of opportunity. 

In Search of Mago

This performance-based project is a fun and playful piece which stars Garcia’s dog, Goldie. This piece differs from the rest of her work, and it was Garcia’s way of encouraging non-traditional storytelling. Viewers could become a part of this work, and share their own stories. This piece is unique in that it blends ideas of fiction and reality, and acts as a way to bring Garcia and her fanbase closer together. 

Chicana Culture

The majority of Garcia’s work is inspired by her culture. As a Chicana woman who grew up in the suburbs of California, she personally recognizes the struggles some may have with cultural identity, and staying true to one's roots when they are not commonly celebrated in the society around them. Her immersive websites, documentaries, and paintings are equally powerful, and it is clear that she embraces her Mexican culture while still recognizing that she is an American.

Accomplishments

Aside from her art alone, Garcia has received many awards. In 2005, she was awarded the California Council for the Humanities Grant, and the following year, she received the Latino Net’s Artistic and Community Achievement Award, and the Senator Barbara Boxer’s Leadership Award. Her work was featured in best-selling author Gary Keller’s books, and in several museums and universities (California Museum of Photography, Long Beach museum of art, UC Riverside, Claremont Graduate University, and the Hispanic Research Center at University at Tempe).

References

1. Cecil, Leslie G. “Cruel Beauty, Precarious Breath; Visualizing the U.S- Mexico Border.” New Frontiers in Latin American Borderlands, Cambridge Scholars Pr Ltd, Newcastle upon Tyne, 2012. 

2. Garcia, Jacalyn Lopez. "Glass Houses: A View of American Assimilation from a Mexican-American Perspective." Leonardo, vol. 33 no. 4, 2000, p. 263-264. Project MUSE muse.jhu.edu/article/618056.

3. “UC Riverside Art Major Explores the Boundaries of the World Wide Web.” Inland Empire Hispanic News, 10th ed., 14 May 1997,. 132.

Further Reading

Contemporary Chicano and Chicana Art by Gary Keller

Chicano Art for Our Millennium by Gary Keller

External Links

http://artelunasol.com/new/portfolio.html

https://ucrarts.ucr.edu/Exhibition/Life-Cycles

Week 4 Bella Lang

Christian and Ramon Cardenas and their installation "Los Dos (Make Shift)" in 2015 at Juarez Contemporary. 

In Chicanx culture, Rasquachismo describes an attitude, style, and sense of living. It is associated with the working class, and making use of what is present. Rasquachismo means being unrestrained, creative, handy, playful, and bold. Although some may associate it with the negative connotation of having bad taste, we should not limit Rasquachismo to this. The bittersweet stories of Don Chipote epitomize the ideas of Rasquachismo; during his move to the US, he uses his wit, robust yet sometimes dark humor, and adaptability to get through the struggles of his everyday life. He may even be considered an underdog in some ways, which is also associated with being a rasquache. A Domesticana is simply a Chicana rasquache. Domesticanas, like rasquaches, grew out of resistance to majority culture. Therefore, they have a certain bold attitude associated with defiance. Societal norms want to constrict Chicana to femininity, motherhood, and subordination, however, many resisted to this. Both Domesticana and Rasquache art make the most out of the least. Everyday objects or scraps are often used and put together to create something bold and unique. Reusing and recycling are large parts of Domesticana and Rasquache art. A popular form of this art is seen in religious shrines, which can be surrounded by simple yet meaningful everyday objects. In all art, bright colors, clashing textures, and a variety of shapes are used. Although it may sound chaotic to some, this art should be appreciated, as it radiates a unique sense of creativity and culture. Although the picture I am attaching is not my own, it is one that stood out to me. In an Architectural Digest article titled "We Should All be Celebrating this Powerful Chicanx Aesthetic," I found a photo of a couple standing in front of an installation they made called "Los Dos." It embodied Rasquache/Domesticana art, and was inspired by the ruteras, or repurposed buses, they saw in their childhood. 

Lang, Bella Abstracts

 1. Garcia, Jacalyn Lopez. "Glass Houses: A View of American Assimilation from a Mexican-American Perspective." Leonardo, vol. 33 no. 4, 2000, p. 263-264. Project MUSE muse.jhu.edu/article/618056.

This article written by Jacalyn Lopez Garcia highlights the meaning behind and the work going into her most popular art piece; the Glass Houses immersive website. The struggles she felt growing up as a Chicana, such as fear and identity issues, are offset by ideas of opportunity and desire. In this article, she describes the intricacy of her work, which was highly influenced by her family life and her childhood. She considers her viewers as “houseguests” who walk into the Glass House freely, and can explore complex ideas of feminism, cultural identity, gender issues, and much more.

2. Cecil, Leslie G. “Cruel Beauty, Precarious Breath; Visualizing the U.S- Mexico Border.” New Frontiers in Latin American Borderlands, Cambridge Scholars Pr Ltd, Newcastle upon Tyne, 2012. 

Author Leslie Cecil explores the boundaries created in art, the human body, social policy, and other non-traditional borders in Latin American culture. In chapter 8, titled “Cruel Beauty, Precarious Breath; Visualizing the U.S- Mexico Border,” she touches on Jacalyn Lopez Garcia’s work, and how it depicts the border as a place of everlasting development and cruel reality. Cecil expands on Garcia’s use of dark irony in her work, which further helps portray the struggles that the Chicanx community experiences in modern day America. Corporate greed and the divisions economic institutions have created make it hard for the Chicanx community to see the opportunity everyone speaks of in America.

3. “UC Riverside Art Major Explores the Boundaries of the World Wide Web.” Inland Empire Hispanic News, 10th ed., 14 May 1997, https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/55333994.pdfp. 132.

This newspaper article gives an inside look into Jacalyn Lopez Garcia’s academic accomplishments and career. By reading this article, we can find that she was a multitalented and well-rounded young woman, who has more passions than art alone. This article also highlights the anticipation that built before her popular “Glass Houses” immersive web experience was released. Along with this website, her other art pieces have rightfully been displayed in well-known museums. The fact that this article dedicated the front page to her unreleased art shows that she was able to gain an audience and raise awareness for the struggles of Chicana artists, despite the struggles she faced along the way. 

Lang, Bella Week 3

     Although my personal experience in my later years with the image of the Virgin of Guadalupe is limited, my mom grew up in a highly Catholic household, and I would see pictures of the Virgin of Guadalupe when I was younger at my grandma’s house. I remember asking my grandma who the woman was, and why she had a picture of her framed. Her answer was harder for me to understand when I was young, but now, I know she was a powerful symbol for my grandma that represented ideas of faith, motherhood, and strength. My grandma worked very hard to be able to move herself and her family of 5 to the United States, and often worked tough, long jobs that were mainly occupied by men. For example, she had one job as a truck driver, and worked for more than 12 hours at a time. As expected, this was a very discouraging and exhausting period of her life. She turned to the image of the Virgin of Guadalupe to remind her that she was strong enough to pursue and persist what she had begun. It also reminded her that she had to be strong enough for her daughters, and that in the end, all the hard work would be worth it. 

    When looking at the Virgin of Guadalupe, we can see that she has a slightly somber, but peaceful and kind expression. Although she isn’t wearing makeup or a fitted dress, something about her seems distinctly feminine. I think this could represent the idea that a large part of a woman’s femininity comes from the inside and how she portrays herself. In this image, she almost looks tired, but her stance is powerful. The aura she projects reflects this power, and I remember my grandma telling me that this light showed that she was clothed by the sun. 

I was not raised in a very religious household, but I highly respect and can look up to the ideas that the Virgin of Guadalupe represents. She is a figure that helped my grandma achieve the life that she wanted for herself and her kids (including my mom). Therefore, I would not be where I am today without her.

Emilia Cruz

 2. Melissa Depaz

3. Maya Gonzalez

2021FLangBella

 

Hello everyone! My name is Isabella Lang, but I prefer to be called Bella. My preferred pronouns are She/Her/Hers, and I am a junior transfer student. I am looking forward to meeting everyone (although it will be online), and seeing new faces. I think we can all agree that these past couple years in a pandemic have not been the easiest, but I am ready and eager to move forward! 

I am an Environmental Science major, with a concentration in Environmental Systems and Society. I chose this major because I have always had a great love for the outdoors and nature, and seeing the detrimental effects our existence on this planet has inspired me to want to make a change, and learn more about what we can do as a society to ensure our future generations (and also flora and fauna) can thrive in a healthy world. My mom’s side of the family moved to the US from Buenos Aires, Argentina a few decades ago, and worked very hard to move here to start a new life. Most of them did not have the privilege to attend a 4 year university, let alone the #1 public university in the nation. I am starting UCLA as a first-generation university student, and am ecstatic to make them so proud.

I decided to take this class to explore a new field of study, as most of the classes I have taken in the past have been more STEM based. However, I have always loved art, such as painting, pottery, and sewing. Both sides of my family are artistic, and I grew up learning about the importance of art in all forms. Although my knowledge on Chicanx art and history is limited, I am very much looking forward to taking this class and learning something new. During this, I hope to also explore new cultures and broaden my way of thinking. Art is a form of expression and something that you can learn a lot from, and I would love to see how Chicanx art has developed over the years.