From the artists that we have learned about thus far, Delilah Montoya's photographic work really spoke to me, especially her series titled La Llorona in Lillith's Garden. I really enjoy how she employs traditional indigenous elements, Mexican stories and myths in a contemporary and romantic fashion. Unlike our typical notion of La llorona, who's supposedly horrid and terrifying, Montoya's llorona is represented in a very serene, almost whimsical. La llorona seems to be simultaneously a part of the natural surroundings, as well as in conflict with them.  The process of staging and posing her subjects seems to be very important to her, meaning that everything in a given piece is meant to be there, whether its for aesthetic reasons or something deeper. The natural setting and dark, twisting branches of the trees create a world of their own in a really surreal manner. Her compositions and content challenge common and narrow assumptions about gender, identity, race, class, and an intersectionality of many more topics. I'm also obsessed with her series of Guadalupe tattoos because like a lot of her work, it intertwines iconographic imagery and objects that reinforce honest history and tradition, therefore serve to empower the community. Her works have a very strong elements of hope, empowerment, and remembrance of her roots. 

Carmen Lomas Garza

I chose this image to write about on the blog because out of pure coincidence, I happen to be working on a piece that happens to deal with the same subject. In the book, there are two of the same pieces in different mediums, and Garcia uses them to discuss some of the new tools and experiments that Garza was involving in her processes during the time, transitioning back and forth from her traditional gouache to lithography. Overall, it allows no in depth interpretation, discussion, or memory source to the piece, but I can imagine that she made this piece through a similar process as most of her narrative paintings (memories, details such as fashion, expressions, etc).  Upon finishing up the book, I flipped the pages and found myself to be related to Carmen in a weird, psychological way because I was working on a brawl scene as well, that I was thinking of calling "Peleoneras". It was so weird... I was weirded out by how just the fact of having Mexican heritage can lead to images that stand in for collective experiences that had an impact on our psyches and curiosity. In other words, these women fighting out on the streets took me back to several experiences I've been through in which both women and men become very aggressive and violent, and cause a spectacle in public. The experiences were always kinda scary but exciting at the same time; when it happened some cheered, children cried, other people tried to stop them, and dozens were glued to their windows at home. People would talk about it for days and pick sides and it just became such a performative process in my brain after thinking about it awhile. Her work always has a childlike perspective, that is descriptive of everything and everyone, from what they are preoccuipied with, to their reaction to the central points of action. Jealousy, awe, concern, carelessness, and over all curiosity fills the expression of the figures' faces. That's something I think is really important to her work, and its inspired me to attempt to pay special attention to the expression on my figures' faces, because they really do dictate the meaning and interpretations of the pieces. (Even though we have super different styles of painting) Overall, its exciting to think that two artist have the same visual narratives in different style and meaning because they are situated in a different place and time, but how one can still draw parallels in the work, and reflect upon one's own experiences too.

Kenia Gutierrez and Bell Diaz

I have chosen to do my presentation on two amazing women that are not yet included on the list. Apart from forever holding a special, warm spot in my heart and the heart of many others, I admire their activist and feminist efforts put into action by these women. Kenia and Belle were the owners of LA's only female-run gallery made specifically to support female and LGBTQ artists in order to ampliphy their voices and facilitate expression. Kenia is very photography and film oriented, while Belle is very sculptural and illustrative, together, the possibilities for their creations are literally endless. Their creativity spans from  making traditional paintings and sculpture, to screen printing and altering clothing, to transforming spaces into hybridized gallery/staged settings where music and art harmoniously collide. Aside from art, they also rescue animals, provide safe spaces of expression, and promote art making as a radical form of healing. 

Delilah Montoya

I have chosen to do my presentation on Delilah Montoya because I am really interested in the way that she combines installation, portraiture, and photography to reveal images that are packed with meaning, symbolism, and recognizable iconography which makes her body of work feel extremely charged with historical and emotional importance. Her work can be dealt with at many angles, from exploring spirituality and ritual practices, to more general social concerns, such as gender roles and archaic traditions, which I am also interested to learn more about.

Yolanda M Lopez and Chican@ self determination

In The iconography of Chicano Self-Determination: race, ethnicity, and class, Goldman situates Chican@ art and artists within a timeline that allows us to clearly view some of the social climates and conditions that were present when these artists were at work, as well as some of the most prominent icons that have been used over and over again as symbols of culture including the pachuco and la virgen in order to facilitate chicano/as' quests for self-identity and empowerment. She goes over a trajectory of artists and how they used common motifs such as references to class, mexican history, styles that have been formed and memorialized for ever (zoot suits), and the ways in which women artists contributed to the more gendered aspects of identity. She claims that knowing our own history as descendants of the tragic history of colonialism and genocide in mexico is essential to understanding the issues such as racism, class divisions, and overall oppression that remains today. Although not clearly stated, she also discusses how it wasn't until women artist came into exposure that new images of women streaming away from the idealized, weak, dormant woman such as the one often shown in the Aztec Indian's hands and onto renditions closer to reality, such as Yolanda's work which depict and glorify working class women, old women, middle-aged over weight women, young, and self assertive women and women who are active and unafraid to take on the world. Her nine drawings of herself, her mother, and her grandmother are an excellent example of this empowering mode of portraiture.  By naming each drawing individually Lopez emphasizes the uniqueness of each woman and accentuates every feature that is familiar and special to her in a familial, real, and nonsexualized manner. Which draws attention to the true, honest, and modest vision that she has of women, given that she grew up with no male figures imposing that patriarchal component. In this way, as Alma Gaspar de Alba mentioned in lecture and as it has been said in past readings, Yolanda Lopez is placing her own body, unashamedly, at the center of her mode of expression, confronting the viewer with her realistic, imperfect feminine ancestry and genealogy in all of its perfection.  

F2015FloresMiguelAngel

Upon reading the texts and attending Alicia Gaspar de Alba’s guest lecture, I become very interested in the representation of women in society, religion and art, especially the trio of prevailing stereotypes that corner women into the categories the virgin, the mother and the whore, specifically in Latin American cultures. Throughout time and progression, as the Chicano movement rose and identities blossomed, new lifestyles such as that of la Chola and La Pachuca emerged as new and unique forms to reclaim their power, yet they still seemed to be frowned upon and criminalized by their families or the authorities. Given this, how can choices such as outward appearances, fashion, and styles such as “cholas” and “pachucas” be both constructive and destructive to one’s identity in the  context of manifesting a positive and resistant image. In other words, How does a chicana escape the internalization of las tres marias as their designated identity without being seen as a traitor, anti-nationalistic, anti-religion, and ultimately, anti-self? Judy Baca's triptych really resonated and made me think about the odd state of not being able to determine one's self identity because of the already predetermined roles that we have depending on where we come from.

In my opinion, these varying styles in fashion were ways in which women put up a flag of resistence and strength. The zoot suit was originally a style claimed by mexican american men, but shortly after, women started wearing the suits, making their shoulders broader, their over all form less curvaceous and their hair was styled really big and tall, adding height and attitude. Similarly “cholas” integrated baggy pants, chains, suspenders,jerseys, and fierce makeup in order to achieve an original style they could all call their own. 

Although admirable in more ways than one, these styles were a mini movement that was frowned upon by most first-generation Mexican parents, perhaps because of fear of drawing attention to their undocumented status, or fear of gang affiliation. In a similar manner, these styles were taken as serious signs of aggression and basically big F-Yous to the authorities, making the youngsters rocking these aesthetics become criminalized in an instant. I can’t imagine what they went through, simultaneously feeling like they were finally building an image and a voice, but at the same time that voice went against their most loved ones agenda, and looked like violence and aggression in the eyes of the law. 

Flores, Miguel Angel

Hello everyone, my name is Miguel Angel Flores, I'm a fourth year art major here at UCLA. I grew up in a touristic town up north called Mammoth Lakes under the love and care of my undocumented parents, who grew up in Apatzingan, Michoacan. Both my parents were very traditional in their way of living and raising their children, but not overly invested in religion. Instead of practicing any form of strict prayer routines and such, they simply saw gods and goddesses as miraculous images and entities capable of helping those in need. We rarely went to church unless it was the 12th or someone was dying or getting married, instead  I grew up listening to various stories about different saints and people who became saints through their benevolence and good character, that was my religion, The most important saint for us was always La Virgen de Guadalupe. Every year around November, my mother sets up an altar for her and decorates it with roses, candles, and other saint figurines as well as old photographs of our family;s deceased loved ones. She is always with us, hanging around our neck, or on the blankets we use to stay warm. Upon coming to college and learning more about chican@ culture and clarifying muddy histories, my art has taken a more critical path which seeks to take in and reflect back the behaviors and attitudes of present social, cultural and personal interactions with larger systems and the effects they have on one's identity. As a kid, I would've never thought or doubted our Morenita, but as I learn more and more, the easier it is to come to my own conclusions about history and the way I like to think of it. I'm looking forward to expanding my knowledge on Chicana artists but even more excited to draw inspiration from their techniques and artistic processes in order to make my own work stronger in the future.