Blog 10: Reflection

 My overall experience in this class has been truly worthwhile. At first I was concerned with the length of the readings, but I genuinely enjoyed them. The reading I enjoyed and learned the most  from was Alma Lopez’s It's Not about the Santa in My Fe, but the Santa Fe in My Santa essay. The topic of la Virgen de Guadalupe and why so many Chicana artists incorporated her into their art was so interesting to learn. Growing up I saw la Virgen everywhere. Being Mexican American and growing up Catholic in a predominantly hispanic community, I can relate to the comparison and the pressure that comes with having la Virgen in your life. She was not only present in my home and church, but her image was painted on many liquor store walls around my hometown. I appreciated how the reading touched on this same topic. Most importantly, I appreciated learning about a different interpretation of the emergence of La Virgen. I love how Lopez acknowledged the capability of indigenous people to create the image of La Virgen. Many people understand the image as appearing miraculously because the materials and painting techniques supposedly weren’t around or practiced during the time of its appearance. However, the arguments used to contradict this idea really opened my eyes, especially knowing that Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa is considered a masterpiece but was painted around twenty five years earlier than La Virgen. The reading then poses the question, “Why do we question the painting skills of the artists who might have rendered La Virgen de Guadalupe and not those of the painter of the Mona Lisa?” I thought this was very interesting and was an angle of history I would have never thought of to question. This was the reading where I was also introduced to the works of Yolanda Lopez and Ester Hernandez. This is just one of the many weekly readings I enjoyed, but this particular one stood out to me because it really made me question my culture and my own relationship with La Virgen. I also really enjoyed listening to everyone present their artists in class. It’s amazing to me how all the artists presented didn’t have a wiki page. The wiki assignment is so important because there are many Chicana artists who deserve to be recognized and learned about. Although I’m not a Chicano major, I’m really happy I took this class because I learned so much about amazing artists I never heard of and their powerful work.

Blog 9: Deus ex Machina

 In the essay, Deus ex Machina: Tradition, Technology, and the Chicanafuturist by Catherine S. Ramirez discusses how technologies from our present can be used to “recover” traditional forms of the past. In The Museum of International Folk Art, the use of computer technology was fused with folk art. In the reading, folk art was defined as a reflection of its surroundings, more specifically, surroundings outside “modern” urban living. New Mexico is considered to be an example of being stuck in the past and separate from the digitized and technological world. This gives into the notion and image of Hispanos being incapable of understanding science and technology. I thought this was an interesting point to make and I was able to connect to the examples Ramirez used. For example, in the tourist literature and brochures of New Mexico there is emphasis on the traditions, rural life, and even the use of “Spanish” as opposed to “Mexican.” There is no mention of modern or urban life, or any mention of their scientific accomplishments. 

Marion Martinez is used as an example of an artist who engages in cyber arte. As a child she had a strong interest in machines, like television sets to radio sets, and was fascinated with the inside of computers. From her experience in New Mexico, Martinez would use the discarded computer parts that she got from the Los Alamos National Laboratory and use these parts to completely transform traditional art forms. Martinez was also raised Catholic and she uses her art to express her love for God and life. With Marion Martinez’s love for life and God and her interest in technologies, she created and transformed the image of La Virgen de Guadalupe by using circuit boards. In conclusion, the term chicanafuturism was defined as a, “chicano cultural production that attends to cultural transformations resulting from new and everyday technologies (including their detritus); that excavates, creates, and alters narratives of identity, technology, and the future; that interrogates the promises of science and technology and that redefines humanism and the human” (13).  By linking traditional forms of art like santo production, and technologies, Martinez rejects stereotypical images and misconceived notions.

Blog #8: Border Arte

 In Border Arte (1993): Nepantla, El Lugar de la Frontera, Gloria Anzaldúa first describes the opening day of the Aztec: The World of Moctezuma musuem, where the culture of our indigenous ancestors is reflected in the different forms of displayed art. Although the Mexican art forms are ancient, their influence and symbols are still embraced and present in modern art forms. For example, Anzaldúa compares the energy of Coyolxauhqui, the moon goddess, to Yolanda Lopez’s portrait of La Virgen running. The beginning of the essay almost reminds us to recognize and embrace our indigenous roots. I found it most interesting how Anzaldúa addresses the problems found in museums and exhibitions where they treat the ancient art and the people as being dead and gone. Anzaldúa describes Western curators as only considering art from dead cultures to be worthy enough to be in museums. For example, she

Santa Barraza, Nepantla, 1995.      

Image from the reading.

 

describes indigenous clothing being on display in a museum in Guatemala City as if these garments are from the past. However, there was no mention of the women who have preserved the same methods used by their ancestors and are still weaving these traditional garments. She also describes how presenters and the museum staff at the Aztec: The World of Moctezuma explained the Aztecs and their culture as if they are extinct. However, they failed to mention that there are thousands of Aztecs living in Mexico. I thought this was an interesting observation to point out because whenever indigenous people or their culture is being explained, it’s always past tense. Of course, it’s important to learn about ancient times and history, but I hardly hear any mention of who they are today. I think we would paint a more accurate representation of indigenous people if we were to understand their contributions today and recognize their existence in present times, just as much as their past. Many people understand Aztecs to be bloodthirsty savages because of whitewashed history books and ill representations in film, but what if people knew about the Aztec survivors who are still around today? I think it would change a lot of people's perspectives. Lastly, she describes her experience with border art and almost seems to be warning border artists to watch out for popular culture and the mainstream art world. Anzaldúa states that the mainstream art world is “colonizing, commercializing, and consuming the art of ethnic people” (6). Overall, Anzaldúa suggests to border artists that the most important thing is to engage with the public and to never lose sight or connection with la gente.

Blog #7: Graffiti Is Art

    In the reading, Graffiti Is Art, Charles “Chaz” Bojorquez first describes graffiti as a language to express one's self. However, there are many anti-graffiti people who only relate graffiti to vandalism. Oftentimes, graffiti is seen as meaningless and is “a symbol of the loss of moral control in our society” (1). However, Charles “Chaz” Bojorquez describes his journey as a graffiti artist to be a positive one. Graffiti was a way for him to understand who he is as a Latino in Los Angeles. Bojorquez describes his style of graffiti to be

By Chaz Bojorquez

“cholo” style. The gang wall writings he participated in in Los Angeles are called placas, which are symbols used to mark territory and was a way to show loyalty to their neighborhood. In other words, “Cholo graffiti is graffiti by the neighborhood for the neighborhood (4).” In Los Angeles, graffiti can be understood as a way for the artist to make their presence known. Graffiti Is a symbol for the youth as a way of showing their pride and strength, and demanding respect. Bojorquez also describes graffiti artists as evolving and actually using their art to make a name for themselves. Many graffiti artists have decided to go to school and receive a degree from major art universities and Bojorquez even describes his time working in advertising. Throughout the essay, Bojorquez defends graffiti as a form of art and wants to prove its legitimacy. Graffiti art has even been bought and sold in galleries, it has been collected, and it is considered a contemporary American art. Although I consider graffiti to be a form of art, it’s still difficult for me to consider all graffiti acceptable. I understand that it’s a way to speak of one's identity and a way to show unity. I’ve admired many graffiti artists and especially praise the graffiti work from the 1980s. However, it’s difficult for me to accept it when it’s used to censor or cover another work of art. For example, there was a mural I would always drive by that I loved and one day there was graffiti covering the work of art I once admired. Overall, I agree that graffiti can be used in a positive way, but I think it crosses the line when it’s used to cover another work of art. 

Blog 6: Rasquachismo/Domesticana

Rasquachismo is a Chicano sensibility where one makes do with what’s at hand. In Rasquachismo-A Chicano Sensibility, Tomas Ybarra-Frausto extends on this idea and states, “limited resources means mending, refixing, and reusing everything. Things are not thrown away but saved and recycled.” The reading used the example of discarded coffee containers as flower pots to describe this rasquachismo sensibility. This reminded me of my grandma and the various containers she uses to hold all her plants.

In her backyard she has water jugs, with their tops cut off, holding her aloe vera plants. She also uses coffee containers, candle holders, and tupperware to hold some of her indoor plants. The reading also described this Rasquachismo sensibility as a working class sensibility. Usually associated with working class Chicanos in the barrio. Tomas Ybarra-Frausto described the Chicano middle class as not wanting to be associated with anything to do with rasquache and is a description that has a negative connotation, especially for those who are upper class. In my opinion, I think of the rasquachismo sensibility as being creative and thrifty. On the other hand, Domesticana is described as a Chicana rasquache. In Domesticana -The Sensibility of Chicana Rasquachismo, Amalia Mesa-Bains describes domesticana as a “defiance of an imposed Anglo-American cultural identity and the defiance of restrictive gender identity within Chicano culture have inspired a female rasquachismo.” In an artistic context, the domesticana sensibility deals with references from the domestic life and is seen through a feminist lens.

Blog 5: La Virgen de Guadalupe

 La Virgen de Guadalupe is an image I’ve been surrounded by my whole life and has definitely been a symbol of my Mexican American identity. Being a Mexican American raised in a predominantly Latinx community in Los Angeles, I’ve seen the image of Guadalupe painted on many of the liquor stores walls on my street. Being raised a Catholic, I remember having a cartoon image of La Virgen de Guadalupe hanging on the wall next to my bed. Although I don’t consider myself to be very religious and I don’t attend mass as much as I used to as a kid, I still see La Virgen as a symbol of faith and culture. However, La Virgen has created this ideal image of perfection that many Latinx women are expected to achieve. Subconsciously, I believe this influenced my idea of how I was supposed to behave at a very young age. Although I consider my overall experience and my knowledge of La Virgen to have been positive, I don’t think I was able to have a relationship with her as a child without feeling a sense of disappointment in myself. Again, the pressure of having to be a perfect daughter, sister, friend, and Mexican American was based on this one ideal image. However, this class has exposed me to different versions of La Virgen I can better connect to. For example, Yolanda Lopez’s Virgen Running was an image of La Virgen I can connect to. My mother was a Track and Field running champion and I’ve been a long-distance runner since middle school. Therefore, when I saw Virgen Running, I saw my mother and myself. I saw a more accurate depiction of what it means to me to be a Mexican American woman. Although I don’t see myself in the original image of La Virgen, I still recognize La Virgen as a strong symbol of my faith and culture.   

 

Blog 4: ¡Printing the Revolution! Exhibition Preview

In ¡Printing the Revolution! Exhibition Preview, the history of the Chicano Movement and how art continues to be an effective form of activism were discussed. The panel centered around the artists Juan Fuentes, Ester Hernandez, and Zeke Peña, as they shared their story and their reaction as to how Chicanx art has evolved over the years. The conversation with Ester Hernandez stood out to me the most because she discussed what truly inspired her to become an artist. Born and raised in California, Hernandez had a farm workers family where her father became one of the first people in her barrio to join the United Farm Workers Union in the 1960s. She was always encouraged to be proud of her culture and to recognize her roots. After watching a performance by El Teatro Campesino, she witnessed how art can be a tool for social and political change. More specifically, Hernandez recognizes Dolores Huerta to be a major influence in her pursuit of the arts. She recalls how Huerta once stated how many Latinos in the media were portrayed as people to fear and pity. Unfortunately, this is still an issue going on today. Once Hernandez attended UC Berkeley, she was a part of a community of feminist Chicanas and understood how important their place was in the movement. With a strong community and all her sources of inspiration from a young age, Ester Hernandez has since dedicated her art to addressing issues affecting her community. Hernandez specifically discussed how a lot of her art responded to homophobia and advocated for people's right to love whoever they want. I wasn’t surprised to hear Ester Hernandez discussing how she used her art to advocate for the queer community because of previously reading about La Ofrenda. Many of the prints that the video showed are prints I recognized from the reading. I appreciated how this video gave me insight into the artists, not just the meaning behind a particular print.
            When the panel was asked how Chicanx art has remained and changed throughout the years, all of their answers were very similar. Of course technology has changed how artists produce and share their art. Social media has allowed artists to reach a wider audience and is seen as a beneficial platform. Although there have been many changes, the power and influence of Chicanx art remains the same. It has evolved, but still functions as an effective form of activism. I also appreciated how these well respected artists are moved and motivated by young artists and their work addressing current issues. They mentioned the Black Lives Matter movement and show a sense of pride when describing young protesters and artists speaking up during such difficult times. I love how they validated this sense of community present in the Chicanx community. Instead of challenging and lecturing young artists, they are open and proud of the idea that Chicanx art is evolving. 
            A quote that stood out to me was, “American art is Latino art and Latino art is American art.” I think that is an important lesson that a lot of people in the mainstream art world need to recognize. They are not mutually exclusive and I would like to think one cannot be without the other. 

Week 2 : Claudia E. Zapata Reading

(Q) In what ways have technological advancements benefited Chicanx artists?

(A) In the reading “The Rise and Impact of Chicano Graphics, 1965 to Now” by Claudia E. Zapata, technological advancements for the most part have been a beneficial way for Chicanx artists to express themselves politically. Poster and print were and still are an important means of Chicana art and activism, and digital technology have helped facilitate these same objectives. For example, the Chicana artist Barbara Carrasco incorporated digital tools and strategies to communicate the dangers of pesticides. This was in support of the United Farmworkers Union and to protest the horrible effects of toxic chemicals. The artwork was displayed on a digital billboard in Times Square for the public to see. Carrasco’s artwork is just one of the many examples as to how digital technologies can be a beneficial tool for advocacy, educating the public, protesting, and showing solidarity. Not only can digital tools provide artists with a different perspective of displaying their art, but it is also a beneficial way to reach a wider audience. With Carrasco’s artwork on full display in one of the busiest cities in the country, the use of technology proven to be beneficial and has influenced many Chicanx artists to come. Technology has created more ways to continue advocacy through art and increased the different ways to spread awareness. 

Also, with the number of social media platforms, there is more room for artists to display their work, engage a wide audience, and get the public involved. For example, the artist Favianna Rodriguez’s website (Favianna.com) was a digital space where her art was displayed. The website also serves as a space for viewers to look at instructional videos as to how to create a protest poster/banner and provides digital downloads. This online platform is an effort to facilitate and increase the spread of advocacy through art. The term “artivist” is used to describe such artists you use their work to advocate for a certain cause. For example, Rodriguez uses online tools to share her art of a monarch butterfly to symbolize the beauty of migration and to advocate immigration. Overall, Chicanx artists are using digital technology to their advantage and is used to continue their advocacy.

Week 3: Pola Lopez

Wiki Outline/Draft:

Pola Lopez (born in1954) is a Chicana visual artist known for her cultural murals and vibrant paintings. 

Biography

Pola Lopez is a self-taught artist who was born and raised in Las Vegas, New Mexico. Her love of painting and her use of bright colors began when she was a child. Her dreams of becoming an artist were always supported and encouraged by her father who was a poet. As a senior in high school, Pola Lopez witnessed the Brown Berets painting on the walls of her high school and witnessed the powerful imagery of these artistic cultural murals during the Chicano Movement. These murals played a role in educating the public and portrayed the Chicano culture by including Aztec imagery. This was the moment she realized she wanted to dedicate her life to her art. 

Without any plans to attend college, Pola Lopez would spend her days painting and selling her art to her local community in Las Vegas, New Mexico. As she began to exhibit her work in front of her own studio, she gained recognition from a group of Chicanx artists from Santa Fe. These Chicanx artists were members of an artist exhibition group called “La Cofradía de Artes Y Artesanos Hispánicos.” Seeing Lopez’s art work, the Chicanx artists invited her to join them in Santa Fe. Lopez then moved to Santa Fe where she participated in this Chicanx organization where she would continue to exhibit her cultural artwork.  

In 2003, Pola Lopez eventually made her way to Los Angeles where she wanted to be a part of the Chicanx art movement scene. Later, she would be recognized and respected as an established Latina/Chicana artist in her community and beyond. From 2009 to 2016, Lopez’s studio/exhibit, known as 2 Tracks Studio, was a space open to the public as part of her efforts to educate and expose the community to the arts. She has completed sixteen murals in schools and her local communities. Due to COVID-19, Pola Lopez moved back to her native state of New Mexico in October 2020 where she continues her art.    

Art

Throughout her artistic career, Polar Lopez's paintings often possess a spiritual meaning. Lopez’s art uses the power of color to provoke her mixed cultural heritage, what she refers to as “Mestizo,” where she incorporates both Spanish/European influences and symbolic indigenous imagery. Her paintings often deal with issues regarding her identity as a Chicana and her work often provokes women’s empowerment.

In 2006, Pola Lopez was given the honor to represent New Mexico and share her work as the official portrait artist of “the New Mexico People’s Holiday Tree” at the White House in Washington D.C. In 2009, she was a Keynote speaker at the 16th annual “Latino Issues Conference” by Bowling Green State University in Ohio. In 2011, she was featured in a distinguished exhibit called “Adelante! Mexican American Artists: 1960’s and Beyond,” in Glendale, California.

In early 2019, Pola Lopez along with other notable artists, participated in the National Hispanic Center’s Qué Chola exhibit. This exhibition “celebrated Cholas and homegirls in art and popular culture as symbols of feminine strength and resilience in the face of racial, gender, and economic adversity.” In the exhibition,  Lopez displayed her “Coatlicue and Chola” painting which portrays a Chola with her arm placed on an Aztec goddess’s statue. Like many of Lopez’s works, the message of the painting portrays Latina/Chicana strength and resilience.

In July of 2019, Pola Lopez completed the restoration of the “Southwest Museum of the American Indian Mural,” which was painted over with graffiti back in 2013. Lopez is familiar with mural paintings and has worked on murals with youth in the juvenile justice system and other members of the community. For this mural’s restoration, Lopez wanted to continue celebrating indigenous culture that the original artist intended to possess. With the completion of this mural,  Chicano art has been brought back to the community that has seen issues of gentrification over the last few years.

References

https://alibi.com/art/58063/La-Lopez-Returns.html

https://www.polalopez.com/about-me

https://www.nhccnm.org/event/virtual-exhibition-que-chola/

de la Peña, Alexa

Hi everyone! My name is Alexa de la Peña and my pronouns are she/her/hers. I am a fourth year transfer student majoring in Communications and minoring in Theater. I have been a research intern for over a year now at a non profit organization called the Latino Donor Collaborative. Our mission is to advocate for better Latino representation in the media. I collect and evaluate television programs from different networks, top grossing films, and content from streaming services. This data is used to prove the lack of Latino representation behind and in front of the cameras, and is used to confront negative stereotypes. In the future, I hope to pursue a career in the entertainment industry. I want to be put in a position where I can push for more representation and diverse voices, and possibly one day create content that resonates with people that hardly see themselves on screen. 

I consider myself to be Chicana and I have grown more interested in my culture and history. I took a Chicano Theater class this Fall quarter and I learned so much about how art truly plays a vital role in educating people about political/social issues and influencing the masses. Most importantly, I learned more about my individual identity and what it means to be Chicana. When I saw there was a class dedicated to Chicanas and their art I knew there was still so much to learn. I am only familiar with Frida Kahlo and would love to expand my knowledge on female artists, especially Chicana artists.

In the reading Printing and Collecting the Revolution, The Rise and Impact of Chicano Graphics, 1965 to Now by E. Carmen Ramos, art was described as a great means for political and social action in the Chicano community. More specifically, art gave Chicanas a voice. It was a form of expression that allowed for Chicana representation and gave them an opportunity to convey their own experiences separate from the Chicano experience. Ester Hernandez was an artist who challenged the submissive role that women were often submitted to, by focusing and portraying the strength of women in her art prints. For example, Libertad is a print by Hernandez that shows a woman redesigning the Statue of Liberty to portray indigenous figures and symbols. In bold letters, the statue of liberty is titled Aztlán. Not only does this piece of art serve as a reminder that the U.S. and our liberties are placed on indigenous land, but it shows that Chicanas are powerful political/social forces and have the ability to be influential through their art. Overall, I am extremely excited to learn more about Chicana art and artists!