Week 10 Reflection

Having taken and thoroughly enjoyed Professor Lopez's Spring 2021 'Censored!Art on Trial', I knew that this class would provide equal interest and learning opportunity.  As an artist myself, the general subject was of interest.  I've always enjoyed different mediums and styles but have no been exposed to much diversity.  In school, we primarily studied the works of white males as they were irrationally and wrongly  held as the standard of excellence.  By providing so many opportunities to learn about chicana art and artists my conceptions and perceptions of art and culture and people have been changed and expanded so broadly.  

The readings about Carmen Lomas Garza and Yolanda Lopez felt like cultural ethnographies, taking me deep into the understanding of a world so foreign to mine. Garza's themes of family, community and culture and concepts of shared experience and memories  helped me to understand the importance of historical culture and the power and strength that community brings. Through Yolanda Lopez I learned about the old, new, and continuing struggles that face chicana artists and the Latino community at large and how art can be used to create dialogue, stir emotions, and affect change, 

The presentations were amazing,  It is an incredible gift to have been exposed to so many talented and diverse artists in such a short period of time.  The live presentations were informatively engaging and have given me to opportunity to follow so. many new artists that I have never known about!

The wikipedia was challenging for me (the technical part) but I think I figured it out...lol and am proud of myself for pushing through and learning something new and while doing so promoting and providing exposure for a deserving artist. 

Week 9 presentation review: Sand One

This weeks presentations were amazing and I really enjoyed learning about so many great artists.  However, Mara Higuera’s presentation of the works by Sand One stood out to me.  The cartoon caricatures which are colorful vibrant images depicting positive confident unapologetic displays of sexuality and empowerment serve as a reclamation of female identity and ownership of one’s own body and identity while addressing common themes of patriarchy, harassment, gender roles, and subjugation.  After Mara’s presentation, I looked further into the artists website and found this quote from Sand One,  “ I am a woman but I am far from weak. I get up, put all that hurts behind me, crush my insecurities, and get it done. Struggle is temporary and amazing things will always arise once the storm is over and ambition begins.”.     The attitude of positivity and tenacity from this artist, to me, is what really shines through her work.  

After viewing many of Sand One’s works and after hearing about the artists experience with an individual in Mexico stealing her trademarked work as their own, it reminded me of the 1950’s artist Margaret Keane.  Keane, similarly drew and painted women/girls with exaggerated distinct eyes. However, Keane also had experience with others taking credit for her work, namely Keane’s husband who for many years claimed Margaret Keane’s work as his own.  In contrast to Sand One’s triumphant aesthetic, Keane’s style was darkly haunting and her works impressed a sense of sadness that one can assume was a reflection of her life circumstances.  So it was interesting to me to compare and contrast the two artists from very different backgrounds and era’s to see how female artists have evolved to claim space and make beauty out of tragedy and challenge.  I have seen the artists work in my hometown of Pomona, and now that I know about the artist and her background I am a huge fan and will be following her career!

Week 8: Presentation review

 
 I was really drawn to Harlow's presentation of his artist Mel "Melo" Hernandez.  The artwork is clearly an extension and expression of Chicanx culture, life, struggles presented in beautiful and vibrant stories. I also feel that because Harrlow was so passionate about his artist, he really persuaded me to learn more about Melo's art and message. In addition to being amazing displays of the artists talent, the carefully crafted pieces tell stories and depict aspects of Chicano culture and tradition while tackling political and social issues .

 Living in southern California and specifically growing up in Pomona, this style of art makes me feel as though I am looking at murals and painted streets at home. I am particularly drawn to the "YWCA South Tuscon Mural".  It is a vibrant piece filled with chicano cultural symbols, customs, tradition and history seen in  the depictions of low riders, flamenco dancers, and of course "Our Lady of Guadalupe" which is the center of the piece highlighting the powerful symbol of identity, faith, and tradition.  I feel that mural pieces like this instill a sense of representation, ownership, and celebration in a community.  By bringing story telling art to public places it become accessible to all - no matter religion, ethnicity or gender, everyone can find relatable elements and learn or be inspired by Melo's art.

Week 7 Claudia Zapata

 This last week we read “Chicanx Graphics in Digital Age” by Claudia E Zapata which addresses the impact of digital revolution and highlights the transformation it has had on Chicanx artists.  As a Genxer, I was in early college when the internet and personal computers began to boom so Ive seen first hand how new the technology brought forth in the digital eras changed the ways in which we search, find, and disseminate information and ideas.  In the pre-digital era, artistic influence could only go so far as the audience was limited.  The digital age has created platforms that allow artists to produce and distribute content at anytime, anywhere, and anyplace.  No longer having their messages culled and controlled by a one way method of communication, artists now have the luxury to reach an unlimited audience through platforms that are free or low cost.  The new digital platforms and methods  also give artists the ability to coordinate more efficiently and effectively which is integral to the underlying activist nature of their work.  Additionally, artists are no longer subject to the strict censoring that occurred pre digital era, because now the artists are producers and promoters of their own works on platforms like instagram, twitter, and personal websites. However, digital methods and platforms do not replace or merely compliment the traditional activist print methods of the past, each is important and integral in their own right.  As the book states “new medium is never and addition to an old one, nor does it leave the old one in peace….digital modalities offer new opportunities to visualize political resistance, and they define the ongoing adaptive role of the artist as cultural agitator”

Week 6 Xandra Ibarra

Ibbara’s works are  fascinating and sensational.  To many I suppose her they could be considered raunchy and obscene but I find them liberating.   I see them as honest pure expressive works  that have accomplished what I think the artist, in part, intended; to create controversy which spurs dialogue between all types of people. The She’s on a Rag series caught my attention.  On a deeper level this series spoke to me as a woman who suffers from severe endometriosis.  Menstruation is such an off limits conversation and because of that it makes ,e feel like this monthly natural process is dirty and should be limited to the privacy of your bathroom and discussed NOWHERE. However, because of my chronic illness I have become more open to talking about menstruation, hormones and all things cycle related but growing up it wasn’t really a thing you discussed, almost making me feel shameful about this natural biological process. So seeing this series by Ibarra felt like being validated, it feels as though she is displaying this biological process as sacred and beautiful.  Her blood stained images are pure art.  I love that out of something that has been considered dirty, private, soiled, Ibarra has made beautiful abstract  images vivid with the color of life.  I find the pieces to be celebratory and humorous in tone while dealing with issues of sexuality, societal expectation.  I also love that she extended this exhibition to be something more interactive.  I think the psychodynamic analysis of her Rorschach like works makes this series so unique and immersive.  Overall I love the fact that throughout her works she is pushing boundaries and challenging societal taboos and  by doing is creating meaningful dialogue about the issues that she is passionate about. 

Wiki article draft: Cassandra Giraldo

Cassandra Giraldo (Born May 4, 1989) is a Latina Freelance Photojournalist / Documentary Cinematographer & Producer originally from Los Angeles, CA, currently based in Brooklyn, New York.

Biography (or Early Life and Education)

Cassandra Giraldo is an award-winning photojournalist and an  associate producer at VICE News Tonight on HBO.  In addition her work as photojournalist and documentary filmmaker has been featured in publication like : The Wall Street Journal ,The New York Times, NPR, TIME, New York Magazine, The Guardian, The Boston Globe, ESPN, The Brooklyn Paper and Slate. Her work has been exhibited internationally by a range of photography organizations including Getty Images and American Photography.

Education:

• M.S. in Investigative Journalism, Columbia University Journalism School. 
• Photojournalism & Documentary Studies Program, International Center of Photography. 
• BA International Affairs & French, Skidmore College. Magna Cum Laude, Departmental Honors in International Affairs & French, Phi Beta Kappa, Periclean Honors Society 

Art  (or Notable Works or Selected Works. Also Exhibitions, Projects, Collections)

• “Delivering babies — and saving lives — in Puerto Rico after Maria” (2017) Vice News (1)
• "The GentlePunks, 555 Gallery, South Boston: In her series “The Gentle Punks”, Cassandra Giraldo follows a group of teenage punks from St. Petersburg, Russia as they roam one step ahead of a police state that treats them as criminal(2)
• The After School Project:  An Instagram-based series that examines how today’s urban youth spend their time away from the authority of their parents and teachers. The project offers a glimpse into how adolescents act unabashedly themselves, pretending to be grown-ups, despite the complicated, and sometimes, unequal social and educational systems they must navigate. The project was recognised as an exceptional finalist in the inaugural Getty Images Instagram Grant in 2015.(3)
• Chutanacuy: photo documentary of a small town in Ollantaytambo located in Peru’s Sacred Valley highlighting the local traditions performed in honor of carnival.  Chutanacuy is a tradition where teams complete a tug-of-war to determine who will harvest the tree of gifts at the edge of town. (4)
• The Zorrilla: Brooklyn's Baseball Oasis :Hispanic roots run deep in a Brooklyn baseball league (5)

Awards

• 2016 Chosen Winner, American Photography 32: Photograph of the Brooklyn Tech Engineers high school football team from the series "The After School Project.” (6)
• 2016 Finalist, Lucie Emerging Scholarship (7)
• 2015: Exceptional finalist in Getty Images inaugural Instagram grant (8)
• National Press Photographers 2016 Bob Baxter Scholarship Winner (9)
•  Named one of 30 Under 30 Women Photographers by Photo Boite in 2016. (10)

References

1) ^ https://www.vice.com/en/article/j5dd74/delivering-babies-and-saving-lives-in-puerto-rico-after-maria

2)  ^ https://www.whatwillyouremember.com/cultural-divide-at-555-gallery/

3)  ^ https://phmuseum.com/news/the-after-school-project-by-cassandra-giraldo

4) ^ http://www.cassandragiraldo.com/chutanacuy

5) ^  http://www.espn.com/espn/feature/story/_/id/24675114/hispanic-roots-run-deep-brooklyn-baseball-league-which-prepares-prospects-values-veteran-players

6) ^ https://www.ai-ap.com/slideshow/AP/32/cassandra-giraldo/

7) ^  http://www.luciefoundation.org/cassandra-giraldo-the-after-school-project/

8) ^ http://press.gettyimages.com/getty-images-in-collaboration-with-instagram-announces-inaugural-instagram-grant-recipients/

9) ^ https://nppf.org/scholarship-winners/2016-winners/cassandra-giraldo/

10) ^ https://artpil.com/cassandra-giraldo/

Further reading

• 10 Latino Photographers Documenting Underrepresented Communities by Christina Noriega (August 2018) https://remezcla.com/lists/culture/latino-photographer-underrepresented-communities/

External links

1) Artist website :www.cassandragiraldo.com

2) Artist’s Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cassandra-giraldo-66656a32/

3) Artist’s instagram:@cassandra giraldo

4) “The After School Project” instagram:@theafterschoolproject

Week 5 : Carmen Lomas Garza Image

 I absolutely love Tamalada (1988) by Carmen Lomas Garza.  When looking at this painting I really felt like this could be a scene on our families house.  Everything about the image is reminiscent of the many times our family has spent together making tamales.  Generally a multi day affair in which all of the family gathers together to make and assemble hundreds of tamales.  All of us packed in great grandmas small kitchen, each of us at a different station using an assembly line type of production.  Some of us are masa spreaders, some of us add the meats and sauce, some of us fold, and great grandma is always the one to inspect and add to the tamale pot to cook.  This painting brings me joy, as some of my best times have been spent with family in the kitchen cooking, laughing,  and preparing for the holidays. The kitchen in Lomas Garza’s painting very much reminds me of my great grandmothers - from the decorations on the wall to the table and table cloth and even the various pots and pans used to hold the husks, meat, masa and sauce.  The children in the picture remind me of when my children were little and first learning how to spread masa and assemble each kind of tamale. It also makes me a little sad.  As my children have become adults and are off to college, and considering the restrictions that covid has placed on family gatherings, I have missed getting together as a family to carry on this tradition.   While this painting may seem like a simple glimpse into hispanic family life, it touches my soul as I see my own family represented in her art and it reminds me that family and tradition are so precious and valuable, especially today when the world seems to have gone mad.

Week 4: rasquachism

Despite not being hispanic, my family has been practicing similar way of life as rasquachism. My great grandparent s came from Oklahoma in the 1940s during the dust bowl.  Desperately poor and in search of a better life they migrated to California.  Their frugal ways continued and were passed down through the generations. Simple things like using the absolute last drop of everything, reusing  containers, bags, tins etc, repurposing objects instead of buying new items. My great grandmother would make my mother dresses out of flower sacks because they couldn’t afford fabric.  Nothing went to waste, not by choice but out of necessity and with that came the stigma of poverty.  As a poor single mother, this was also my way of life.  But juxtapose to my grandparents, I began to enjoy the repurposing and reuse of the items and in addition to the practical use, I often found myself using these reclaimed items in artistic ways that still served a function.

On the artistic level, the use of discarded objects, finding a way to elevate these items is a way of revaluing them and reclaiming what many consider to be low class..  As explained in the readings, this resourceful method provides resources and medium for underdogs to create art out of nothing.  It is symbolic of a people that have worked and strived despite their economic condition and making the best out of what they have and reclaiming being thrifty and resourceful as a positive cultural way of life. 

Cassandra Giraldo Abstract (Amanda Shepherd)

 

30 Under 30 Women Photographers

By:ARTPIL / Profiles of the Arts

ARTPIL provides stories, event news, interviews featuring profiles of artists of all disciplines, museums & galleries, agencies & organizations, both curated and from the public domain.This article provides background information on the photographer Cassandra Giraldo.  The article details her educational background and artistic training.  Additionally it highlights her areas of artistic interest particularly with youth counter-culture of New York.  The article concludes with a list of exhibitions including: Getty Images, Instagram, American Photography and The New York Times Lens Review.

https://artpil.com/cassandra-giraldo/

Hanging Out After School With New York City Students

By:Jordan G. Teicher//SLATE

This article is centered around Giraldo’s project known as “The After School Project”.  It starts by explaining the roots, motivation, and beginnings behind her project.  After months of Photographic documentation of her teen subjects in New York City, her project was recognized by Getty Images and she became an Getty Images Instagram grant finalist in 2015. The article also takes a deeper look at the story she is telling and to quote the author Jordan Teicher,  “it [The After School Project] looks anecdotally at the young people she comes across and the moments she witnesses that speak to the playfulness and, at times, utter seriousness of adolescence.” The article includes multiple images from Giraldo’s project.

https://slate.com/culture/2016/05/cassandra-giraldo-photographs-students-in-her-instagram-based-after-school-project.html

A Playful Gaze at the Lives of Brooklyn’s Youth

By:Verónica Sanchis Bencomo//PH MUSEUM

This is an interview style article lead by Veronica Sanchis Bencomo of the PH Museum.  The article begins with a brief description and explanation of Giraldo’s “After School Project”.  The author asks about her beginning interests in photography , how the “After School Program” was conceived and executed, what the take-away lessons did the artist learn from the project, Giraldo’s motivation to use social media platforms (Instagram) to facilitate her project, and weather or not she will expand these project to include other cities and states throughout the United States. 

https://phmuseum.com/news/the-after-school-project-by-cassandra-giraldo

Shepherd, Amanda (Week 3)

 Having lived in mostly hispanic communities my entire life, I grew up seeing this image in the homes of my neighbors and friends, and thought the cities in numerous forms.  When I was younger, I understood it to be a religious symbol of great respect within the hispanic community   but I didn’t understand the history and deep significance it held.  I married into a hispanic family and my children were raised with the traditions, beliefs, religion, and cultural of their Father’s family.  By immersion I became more familiar with and understood more about the significance. More recently after taking Censored! Art on Trial, I learned about the more controversial side and significance of the Virgin of Guadalupe.  After reading “Our Lady of Controversy” by Alma Lopez, I learned the importance of challenging  the ideas of ownership of religious iconography in regards to personal and spiritual identification.  Furthering that the Religious Elite have promulgated their concept of traditional womanhood and proclaimed that “real women” are submissive, heterosexual, maternal, modest, etherial beings while denying their inherent sexuality and purpose beyond their subjugation as means of control.  Through that class, I learned the ways in which activists and reformers are rightfully challenging the patriarchal control of female identity, sexual autonomy, and spiritual expression.  So that class really broadened my understanding of the Icon, it’s history, and it’s further.

Artist: Alma Lopez 

                                                        

Cassandra Giraldo

2. Ana Maria Arevalo Gosen

3. Amina Cruz

Shepherd, Amanda (Amanda)

Hi there!

My name is Amanda (she/her/hers) and I’m looking forward to this quarter with you all.  I transferred to UCLA way back in 1997 as a Political Science major and after 4 attempts and 25 years, I am excited to say this is my last quarter!!! I have absolutely no idea what I will do with this degree, I hope to get involved in social justice/civil and women's rights issues but in the meantime... I am a professional photographer, and love anything having to do with baseball (Go Dodgers!), animals, and food!!   I’m a wife and mom of two young adults (both in college too!) so being a student at 45 and having classmates that are the same age as them is a little strange but also wonderful.  As a Gen X'er, I have really enjoyed and learned from  the different perspectives, experiences, and knowledge that  you all have offered over the last year.

I attended Professor Lopez’s Spring 2021 class “Censored! Art on Trial”.  It not only exposed me to the issues surrounding censorship in the visual arts, specifically the art of queer Chicanx and Latinx artists, but taught me how to evaluate art on a more objective level not just based on my own personal taste/experience/understanding.  This course is significant on a personal level as my kids are mixed race (their father’s family is from Mexico), as their mom I think it’s important  and valuable to understand the culture and heritage under which they were raised and identify with. And a photographer, I’m interested in issues surrounding art, activism, and intersectionality so this fits perfectly.   Considering our current social and political issues in the U.S., this course provides the opportunity to learn about diverse issues and experiences I might not otherwise be exposed to. I believe that  awareness and understanding is crucial in a civilized and respectful citizenry and our differences and diversity  should be celebrated, and respected.  We should want to engage with others and understand their experience, so I am looking forward to expanding my understanding and learning about some amazing artists.

In regards to the reading: My own art education experience confirms what Venegas says in “Conditions for producing Chicana art”,  that art education consists primarily of the study of white/European artists which has created a skewed standard of legitimacy and excellence by failing to acknowledge  both the historic and modern contributions of Chicana/x/Latina/x  artists.  Additionally from the article, a point I had not considered was the full impact of  the subordinate cultural orientation and economic barriers to recognition, legitimacy, and inclusion. These religious and socio-political belief systems systemically prejudice disenfranchised groups and I am looking forward to learning about the artists who have paved the way and are continuing to  push against societal and religious norms aiming for “a new consciousness” .