Prints by Jose Guadalupe Posada.

       The collective artistic efforts of Chicanas comes together in Holly Barnet-Sanchez's Where Are the Chicana Printmakers? for the exhibit Just Another Poster? Chicano Graphics in California. Barnet-Sanchez focuses on the rich body of prints made by Chicanas. Prints are among the most promient medium in Chiana/o art, and can be traced back to a Mexico. The works of Jose Guadalupe Posada at the dawn of the Mexican Revolution popularized printmaking as a political media. Messages were transmitted quickly through reproductions, and the prints also communicated with broad spectrums of society through a visual language. I feel that this rich history of printmaking in Mexico may have contributed to the conversation of Chicana prints in Barnet-Sanchez's work.

Diane Gamboa, Revelation, Revolution, 2002.

              Revelation Revolution (Right) by Diane Gamboa produced in 2002, a few years after the prints discussed by Barnet-Sanchez, continues a printmaking tradition. Gamboa creates a highly stylized portrait of two central figures, with an outline of a third in the background. Adorning the two central figures are flowers, vibrantly roused lips paint their faces, with perfectly pinned and curled hair set in place, and their tattooed bodies harmonize with the natural elements in the composition. This print is a celebration of the body, both male and female. Even the facial features attribute them as androgynous. The female aura, a quality that surrounds them, is completely divorced from Posada’s figures of the Vigren de Guadalupe (Above), that is merely a static icon. Yet similarly, the content of Gamboa's work challenges social norms in the same way that Posada's prints critiqued the social and political upheaval in Mexico at the turn of the early 20th Century. Prints have withstood time, and continue to develop as a medium of choice for Chiacana/o art.

La Feria en Reynosa

Letter to Diane Gamboa

Diane,

     This week I had the pleasure of presenting on your work. I mainly focused on your prints, and people seemed genuinely excited when I spoke of the Little Gold Man and the Altered State prints (I imagine that has not always been the case). Your mastery of print-making is undeniably on point! You have probably spoken on the meanings of your prints ad nauseam, so Instead, I would this to take this opportunity to ask if you currently feel a pressure to be politically correct when dealing with certain subjects of your work?

    Specifically concerning the Altered State print series: did people react negatively towards the quasi-religious scene with a nude woman as a central figure? From those individuals who were  offended, were they primarily men or women? To me, the females in your prints are strong, domineering almost. I like that, but I can see how it may also be threating and intimidating to some viewers. 

    Could you speak on your experience with censorship, specifically gendered politics, within main stream institutions, such as museum spaces? How about censorship within the realm of other educational institutions that have also exhibited your work? As your work continues to be widely exhibited, who has shocked you the most in terms of their narrow-mindedness? I am also wondering if the general public's reception/understanding of your work informs your future artwork?

P.S.

What is the place that you still have not had the opportunity to be exhibited that you would like to be?

P.P.S.

What is your favorite color to create on prints? 

Best,

Saúl 

Andres Valles' Approach to Shizu Saldamando's Work

 

The Holy Cuatro, 2004.

       The subjects of Shizu Saldamando’s work are everyday individuals with a powerful message to tell. Her tools are few, as she opts for a ballpoint pen, pencil, and other available materials that have a surface to draw on. So let’s face it, any artist who is making pen drawing on a napkins (as seen above), must really be saying something, and I want to get in their head.

       In painting her subjects, Saldamando believes she is “[...]honoring people and moments that resist categorization and question the existing archetypal and hierarchical norms.” When I found this quote I was reminded of Alicia Billalobos', the presenter, comment that paralleled between Saldamando and artists in prison, who work with limited materials. Because what happens when those who resisted hegemonic institutions end up in prison? 

Backyard Hardcore, 2012, color pencil on paper, 22 in. x 30 in.

       I do not see Saldamando’s work as a window into everyday individual’s lives. It is the culmination of this style of art itself, as it embodies the makeshift techniques of prison artists. In a sense, Saldamando’s work, is a portrait of those individuals in prison, and in referencing their artistic style, she reengages them within a social context . Therefore, I was animated about finding a classmate who also shared my interest in the work of Saldamando. 

       Andress Valles found that he connects to an artist and their work by recreating their work, and applying similar techniques.  I think that Valles is onto something. Perhaps it is an untapped tool for better understanding art that moves away from the artist’s sole intent. Art is what the viewers decides it should be. For Valles this meant dealing with formal qualities and the tactility of the process of making art. I think I’ll try this for one of the projects in my sketchbook. 

   
Source for Saldamando’s statment: http://my.calfund.org/artist-gallery/gallery/year-2013/shizu-saldamando/

Shizu Saldamando

This week I truly enjoyed looking at the presentation by Alicia. The artist Shizu Saldamando presents a unique and fresh aproach to her artwork in dealing with everyday subject, through readily available materials as the medium. I felt a sense of realness in her work because her subjects are real people,  experiencing life as it happens. The viewer becomes the subject matter, and in turn, is also elevated to the height of being an art piece. In my opinion, this is the new and fun way to engage an audience.

Margarita Cabrera's Soft Sculptures

      Margarita Cabrera is an artist whose work I was familiar with despite me not remember her name. That is, until now. It was a pleasant surprise to see her soft sculptures once again. The materiality of her work is simplistic, but has a very powerful message stitched on it's surface. In connection to Cabrera's social commentary on the labor production, I could not stop thinking how much her sculptures reminded me of a child's toy. The soft sugary pink hues of the sewing machine (left) quickly identify this as a young girl's toy.

      Not limited to a sewing machine, Cabrera's sculptures also explore other domestic appliances. The sunbeam glow of her yellow coffee maker (right), which I found when researching the artist's work further, immediately confirmed my thoughts that these sculptures could also be toys. I was taken back to my sister's Easy Bake Oven (bottom right), that she received as a gift from a family member. The color of Cabrera's sculpture suddenly became a cautious yellow, warning it's viewer. Although seemingly harmless, these toys perpetuate gendered norms for young girls, luckily it turns out my sister is not a very great cook after all.

A Self-Portrait

        “I don’t see anything wrong with being alone, it feels great to be me.”, reflected Andy Warhol on personal love and space. Finding an icon that reflects my experiences was initially challenging. “What do I want to represent me?”, I thought to myself. And it was not until I stopped looking for outside image sources, and reflected from within that I found my stencil. My phone is filled with images that can easily be turned into a stencil. The project suddenly became more exciting. I chose an image of myself.

         After all, I feel great being me and my sketchbook is ALL about me. In light of Mr Warhol’s notion of self, I reflected on a recent trip I took to Italy. The image I am using for my stencil is my passport photo. In selecting this image I thought about the time I spent alone while abroad. Solitude scared me at first, I was used to having people around me constantly. After a while, I slowly became accustomed with being alone. I began to write in a journal, and reflect on the experiences that led me to that point in my life. It was liberating. I hope this journal will be an extension of those ideas. I certainly learned that I have underestimated the power of family (cat included), the comfort of language, and of course, food. Andy Warhol painted celebrities, and in a way, those around me are my own pseudocelebrities.

La Virgen

"Selfie w/ Guadalupe"

    I giggled when the professor ended with the artwork "Guadalupe Walking". I wondered what my mother would think. She’d probably laugh, I thought; after all, I get my sense of humor from her. Then I wondered: “What would my grandmother say?” and, suddenly the image wasn’t so funny anymore, and I felt guilty for laughing.

    La Virgen de Guadalupe has always been present in my family. In fact, I find that the three most important women in life are all somehow connected to her. My grandmother is named after her, she even dedicated an altar to La Virgen inside her home. Then there’s my mother who was not raised strictly Catholic but La Virgen, along with other saints (she has her favorites), never fail to adorn her immediate space. My youngest sister Maria Guadalupe, is  named after my grandmother, but more importantly after La Virgen. I have slowly seen my sister grow into her name, and embrace her Chicana identity. She is of the new Marias, fully conscious of her past and she is not one to romanticize any negative cultural practices that stem from La Virgen de Guadalupe.

    Sure, in my home the image of La Virgen de Guadalupe may not be associated with a strict religious orthodoxy, but I think she reflects the cultural experiences of many Latinos living in L.A., and not just Mexicans. She is also a figure whom at some point in our lives she represented hope and even resistance. The image of La Virgen de Guadalupe follows me on my phonecase. Some people are offended by it, and others quickly, with a light head-nod glance over at me in agreement. I am happy that she so kindly protects my phone from physical damage, while reminding me of home.

Artist for Presentation: Diane Gamboa

Quintero, Saúl

I am a first generation Mexican-American. My parents are originally from Navojoa, Sonora, Mexico. I was born in San Diego, lived there for 5 years, and I've lived in Los Angeles for 19 years. L.A. is my home (and that of my cat 'P'). I grew up in the small community of Lennox, whose culture reflects it's diverse Latino population. I believe my community helped me grow into my self; as a child it cared for me, and in my adolescence it was often tough with me. Therefore in examining the correlation between family, community, and school my interest in Chicana/o Studies, as my major, closely ties to an education that is relevant to my personal experience and projected academic trajectory.

After reading "Out of the House, the Halo, and the Whore's Mask: The Mirror of Malinchismo", I pose the question: Are there Chicana artist that do not agree with the claim that there were internalized forms of oppressions (i.e. sexism) within the Chicano Movement today? Are they active artist? If so, what does their artwork look like? 

While reading "There’s No Place Like Aztlán" I was reminded that when I am in the U.S. I am considered Mexican, and when I visit family in Mexico I am American. As this relates to Chicana artist working in the U.S., can a theoretical framework such as Aztlán aesthetics perhaps, help bridge the gap between Chicana art with a broader audience, one that is outside of their community?