Week 10: Reflection

Something that was most memorable to me this quarter was the lecture of Week 3 where we defined the Chicana/o/x movement. Of course, the basis of the movement being influenced by the civil rights movement and beginning with the Delano grape strike was an impactful past to learn about. Yet the evolution of the term Chicana/o/x is as a way to reclaim indigeneity was not only reserved for Mexican Americans but rather Chicano is a state of mind being proud of oneself and the ties they have to multiple cultures.

The Chicana movement not being reserved for Mexican Americans was something that has never been clarified to be before at my time at UCLA and I had never heard the phrase Chicana is a state of mind. Placing the Chicanx identity as a state of mind is the pride of who one is and their ties to both latinx and American cultures is an identity that I am proud to now hold myself, I look forward to educating myself on the beautiful, tragic and revolutionary past of my Salvadorean heritage while also educating myself on how I may connect with this heritage today! Additionally, my interest in Chicana artist is something that I will continually educate myself on, specifically my artist Sienna Gonzalez, who accepts and appreciates her multiple cultural identities while still identifies as a Chicana making art for marginalized POC groups. I cannot wait to see how she will flourish and take her art to the next level creating a healing space for the Chicanas! 

Week 9: Chicanafuturist Marion C. Martinez

 

Author Catherine S. Ramírez formulated the term Chicanafuturism while examining artist Marion C. Martinez pieces for the Tradition Meets Technology installation at the Cyber Arte exhibition in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Artist. Marion C. Martinez was born in northern New Mexico near Los Alamos National Laboratory, the origin land of the atomic bomb. In this cyber arte exhibition Martinez utilized deserted computer parts to both reproduce iconic images such as religious figure La Virgen de Guadalupe in a piece titled Oratorio a. la Virgencita. 

Ramírez described Martinez work as embodying the term Chicanafuturism as it simultaneously repurposes these discarded technological pieces to recreate archetypal symbols in the Chicanx/latinx community it also dismantles the romanticized idea of New Mexico as a “land of enchantment” and expose it as a junkyard for modern technology.  Ramírez illustrates the importance of Martinez Oratorio a la Virgencita expressing how Martinez art simultaneously places Latinas into the narrative of science and technology while embedding science and technology into the Latina narrative. This piece placing an emphasis on implanting the patriarchal realms of science and technology combat the issues of classism, racism, and sexism.

  

Additionally, the significance of Marion C. Martinez placing an archetypal woman such as the La Virgen into a place of science and technology is the impact it shares for young women. Growing up in a catholic household the iconic image of La Virgen is solely captured as a savior woman who watches over her people with grace. Although this imagery captures the divine aspects of La Virgen a piece such as Martinez redefining of La Virgen is needed as it adds a new dimension of strength in knowledge to this spiritual creature. 

Week 8: Gloria Anzaldúa: Border Arte Nepantla, el Lugar de la Frontera

In this short piece, Anzaldúa reflects on her visit to the Aztec: The world of Moctezuma exhibition at the Denver Art Museum. In this exhibition Anzaldúa is entranced by the highlighting of indigenous Aztec tradition such as Tenochtitlán, and how all of these installations are reframed and revitalized within modern-day Chicanx communities. Yet Anzaldúa shuts down this idealization when she begins to question where she as a queer Chicana is represented within these indigenous installations. She comes to realize that Chicanos resonating with these museums’ exhibitions is yet another form of colonization taught through the Eurocentric gaze, specifically wishing to create a bridge across the united states and Mexican border. Yet this alliance that Eurocentric museums wish to create is problematic as it creates a neat separation between the cultures. Border artists combat these Eurocentric divisions by creating a culture mix or mestizada which accurately articulates the resistance from the Eurocentric colonizer narrative. What are some of the unique and revolutionary aspects Anzaldúa defines these Border artists expressing? 

Anzaldúa recalls on work Camas Para Sueños by Carmen Lomas Garza who reclaims sacred and indigenous roots by connecting them to everyday life, exemplifying Indigenismo is not in the past. Additionally, Anzaldúa defines the term nepantla, which is an in-between state for most Mexican American immigrants, an embodiment of the transitional period from present to a new identity, or for most Chicana artists feeling validates and acknowledge by museums and academia. 

Being disoriented in space if normal there is no need for confining borders to ensue sanity, but to be en nepantla is discomforting disorientation which is linked to feeling confused about identity. En nepantla is essential to border artists as the border’s separation ensues this loss of identity and the rediscoveries of self-identity is a persistent metaphor for Chicanx artists. 

Week 7 - Graffiti is Art Charles “Chaz” Bojórquez

Our voices create our identity, defining our values, needs, and expressions. The identity and voice of an artist is their artwork, allowing them to express their view of the world. Graffiti is an art form that provides an artist with the tools for forming creative identity and self-expression. Yet graffiti is a polarized art form as on the one hand it is stereotyped and inherently feared as a form of vandalism and deviant behavior signifying a loss of moral control in an area, or it is viewed as free form art and supported by the community. Although there has been growing support graffiti will always retain a youthful presence as it facilitates young artists to seek and create self-expression and self-esteem. How has the evolution of the graffiti art form within Los Angeles affect and inspire artist Charles “Chaz” Bojórquez? 

Author Chaz Bojorquez recalls his journey with “cholo” style graffiti in the 1960’s confronting him forcing him to acknowledge his Latino culture. The history of “Cholo” gang-style and graffiti began in the 1930s as a form of protection and claiming territory. Yet the zoot suiters revolution within Los Angeles combating assimilation through the formation of their language and fashion formulated tag names and a unique graffiti language.  Cholo graffiti as an art form by the neighborhood for the neighborhood highly impacted Chaz, for example, the use of placas or territorial marking is a pledge of allegiance to the neighborhood which can be passed down from generation to generation.  Chaz’s placa which represented him, and his streets was the Smiling Skull created in 1969, the image showcases Señor Suerte (Mr. Lucky) with a pimp hat, fur coat, fingers crossed for luck, and a big Dr. Sardonicus smile. The skull of Señor Suerte represents rebirth and the gangster symbol of protection from death. This Smiling Skull has been embraced by the gang and low rider community as a tattoo of honor, that one can only receive when they have earned it. 

Week 6: Rasquachismo

Rasquachismo is not a term that may be clearly defined into words as it is a personality of everyday life, an attitude or taste that is a private insider code within the Chicano community. This attitude or taste stems from an underdog perspective which is adaptable and resourceful defining not only people but objects and places. With the rasquache lifestyle, objects are constantly on the verge of falling apart so movidas or coping strategies that provide more time and options through making do with what you have, make objects temporal as they will only hold up in time to make do. Rasquache taste is to embrace eccentricity, to be loud and bold when everyone else is muted, there is no shame in combining patterns and bright colors as boldness is valued over the mundane. The personality of the rasquache underclass that is held by both Mexican and Mexican Americans is viewed as vulgar and distasteful by working-class aesthetics as it interrupts the dominant culture's pure standard of living. Therefore, within the Chicano middle-class rasquache must be left behind to allow for social mobility, meaning one must forget the resourcefulness and inventiveness of the barrio lifestyle.  

My Grandmas's bold decorative sense correlates to the resourcefulness of rasquachismo. In the living room of my grandmothers’ old home was a wall of decorative trinkets that she would collect from all over the place, none of them matched and each was vibrantly colored and had their personality. Although none of her trinkets matched in any way, shape, or form they all held a meaning for her remaindering her of found, places, memories, and people. When my grandmother could no longer live on her own, she moved in with us and had to leave behind all her trinkets but did not leave her rasquache resourcefulness behind. In our house nothing could be thrown away as everything has a use, I recall on the day of my graduation my mother could not find a vase to place my flowers, so my grandmother grabbed an old coke bottle from the trash and placed my flowers inside. 

Week 5: La Virgen De Guadalupe Experience

    


My mom and dad immigrating from El Salvador both placed a significant presence of La Virgen De Guadalupe as their protector, ensuring that they made it safely to the United States. The catholic church was a second home for all of my Tia, Tios, primas, primos. it became a safe place where they could pray for protection, forgiveness, and thankfulness. I recall every Sunday my mom would force my sister and me to get up and go to church no matter how much we pleaded to sleep just ten extra minutes, after she would drag us both out of bed, she would pull up our hair in gel, squeeze us into a tight dress, and strap on the most uncomfortable shoes.

 Considering how exhausting this process made me each Sunday I began to resent church. Every time the priest started mass I would drown out their voice by choosing not to translate Spanish to English and when my sister and I were placed outside with the children’s group I would cast myself off choosing not to make friends and push everyone away. 

Yet the only thing that remained untainted by pessimistic aura was the artwork within the church, I remained entranced by the paintings on the walls depicted Christ's story, how the sunlight glossed over the stained glass windows, and most especially the prayer room for La Virgen De Guadalupe. This prayer room was covered from top to bottom in white marble and the center was the iconic image of La Virgen, this room held such an enormous sacred presence and each I entered I couldn’t help but lose my bothered demeanor. 

An event that solidifies her sacred presence was when my neighbor’s house caught on fire, luckily no one was home but everything inside the house was ruined. The next day as my mother and I were helping my neighbor clean up I was blown away to see that her picture of La Virgen De Guadalupe that was hung up on the wall where the fire began was unscathed, yet the frame was completely burnt just like all the other family photos there were placed on that same wall. Though I have not actively practiced Catholicism in years apart of I still believe that La Virgen De Guadalupe is watching over me just as she did my parents.

Week 4 Blog: Denver Art Museum

     The Denver Art Museum introduced three artists Pablo Helguera, Alma Lopez, and Damien Ortega to address the question, what makes Mexican modernism relevant today?? To answer this question the exhibit focused on honoring pre-hispanic and indigenous traditions, and Mexico's past life and customs all concerning core themes including appropriation and reclamation as a tool of decolonization, layered identities, and public art. 

    Artist Pablo Helguera addressed these three themes within his socially engaged art and performance that revolve around memory and linguistics lecture, musical, written, and fiction performances.  Helguera discussed public art as activism through his Instituto de la Telenovela / Soap Opera Institute, which examined the impact of Latin American television had on the rest of world on the rest of the world, for example in Russia telenovelas were the number one show. This exhibit had physical instillations of rooms designed in the stereotypical telenovela to illustrate the dramatization of Latin America and the impact this has on not only our community but the formulation of a stereotypical perception abroad. 

     

Helguera additionally confronted layered identities when discussing how complicated his identity was for others to understand as they needed to box him in as either white or Mexican which made him admire the theatrical adventures of being someone else. For people to acknowledge and appreciate Mexican identities he created the Dead Languages Conservatory which preserved languages in extinction within phonograph recordings in a wax cylinder.

    Lastly, Helguera confronted reclamation and appropriation in a personal story in which his uncle in 1920 worked for the Federal give during WWII and is famous for creating the “I am Counting on You” Silent Sam image utilized to silence Pan-American troops. During the BLM 

Helguera used this poster to reframe this image's message by writing on silence is compliance to reflect on the role we have in injustice

Week 3 - Sienna Gonzales

Wikipedia: Artist Biography Sienna Gonzales 

Sienna Gonzales (she/her) identifies as a queer multiracial artist who just received her Bachelors of Fine Arts from UCLA in June 2020. This artist is known for their use of vibrant colors in surreal art forms which explores themes of self-reflection, vulnerability, and healing. 

                                                   "Secrets"

 Sienna's work specifically centers around the experiences of POC members of the queer community that. Create a transcendental space of pain, hope, and healing. Not much is available online regarding Sienna's early life and previous education so it will be an honor to get into contact with Sienna and learn more about the early beginnings of her artistic journey. Currently, Sienna is a freelance illustrator who runs her Instagram and personal shop under the name @Somewhere_in_june selling original digital, ink, and acrylic pieces! 

                         

                              "2017" 

In an interview with Junior High Los Angelos Sienna recounts her experience during the age of quarantine stating, "I have found myself reflecting on traumas and personal shortcomings that I was able to avoid during the business of normal day-to-day life. I now use my drawings to find visual representations for these feelings" (Orlove, 2020). Some of her famous pieces from this exhibit are 2017 and Secrets as they both have such inviting warm color pallets yet are confronting such strong themes of body image and self-love. Another notable exhibition of Gonzales's work is a collection of charcoal/colored pencils and acrylic ink pieces presented by UCLA's. department of art " Vitamin C 2020"

                                                                      " Vitamin C 2020"

References

1.     Gonzales, Sienna. “About.” Somewhere in June, www.somewhereinjune.com/about. 

2.     Orlove, Faye. “Inbox Full.” Junior High, Junior High, 15 May 2020, juniorhighlosangeles.com/xgirl/siennagonzales. 

3.     “Sienna Gonzales.” UCLA Department of Art, sites.google.com/view/unfrayed/unfrayed/Sienna-Gonzales. 

External links

·       Sienna (@somewhere_in_june) • Instagram

·       Somewhereinjune Shop

 

 

\

Week 2 Zapata Reading

How has the emergence of the internet and graphic art brought a new form of accessibility for the public, how do artists in the stages of technological emergence of web 1.0 and web 2.0 differ in the form of accessibility? 

    Web 1.0 was defined as a passive form of internet interaction where users would view and download content, yet this explosion of the web allowed artists to create web pages for themselves and their works to be more accessible to the general public. Artist Garcia in 1997 made this new form of the artist web page accessible to consumers by adding interactive features in her digital piece Glass House. In this digital showcase, Garcia used the expression “Mi Casa es Su Casa” to give a guided tour of her home through photos which express the inner identity conflict she had with being Mexican American who is a conflict with maintaining her cultural identity and not assimilating to American culture. These questions which Garcia poses at the end of her house tour may seem daunting but are kept digestible as Garcia through her tour gives photographs that express her self impositions and vulnerabilities and relates with viewers through images such as the chancla. 

Web 2.0. this internet emergence differed from web 1.0 form as it brought interaction with web user which is specifically connected to the social network boom. Web 2.0 version of accessibility through social networks allowed artistic sharing and collectivization between social justice movements, for example in 2013 the emergence of the Black Lives Matter movement emerged as a reaction to the injustice and brutality the African American community was facing Alice Garza Patrice Kahn Cullors and Opal Tometi, created an online space to mobilize the BLM movement. Artist Oree Originol contributed to this online BLM movement through his creation of Justice For our Lives in which he focused on creating portraits of individuals who had lost their lives to police brutality and with social media was able to widely distribute his digital portraits 

Molina, Charleen

 Hello, my name is Charleen Molina I am a fourth-year sociology major with a minor in Chicanx studies, and I prefer to go by the pronouns she, her, hers. I was intrigued by this course as I have not taken many courses as a Chicanx minor relating to art, during the fall quarter I took a course on Chicanx force in play and film industries and was hooked on learning more about other forms/ expressions of Chicanx art. Many of my research interests revolve around the effects of media on the first-gen Latinx body image, so I am excited to see how Chicana art may reflect these topics. 

A portion of the reading by Carmen Ramos was the revolutionary mindset behind early Chicanx art. Specifically looking at page 41 image 13 Ester Hernandez piece of Aztlan is an inspiring reclamation of stolen land, the image that is presented onto Mexican immigrants being marginalized aliens is broken down through artworks of Aztlan as it illustrates them as the rightful descendants of such stolen land. 

Another art piece that held the same revolutionary aura as Hernandez's piece is the Libertad De Expression by Adolfo Mexico this piece alike the first one calls out the idealized values Americans hold over land, liberty, and freedom. This piece calls out the celebrations of freedom such as July 4 and which Americans idealize as freedom for all, yet this painting. Showcasing a young Chicanx activist is being gagged by a padlock with Made In the USA engraved at the bottom. This showcased the silencing of activism that young Chicanx faced in trying to uncover the true oppressive nature of the Mexican government. 

It is great to see that even during times of such oppression and silencing Chicanx art was a form of expression that not only educated La Raza on the problems they faced but also was a form of creative and emotional release