My Thanksgiving

I drew a picture of my family based upon the image that is in my head of our 2015 Thanksgiving dinner. I drew myself in the corner of the room because that is where I sat and ate my dinner. Analyzing my position, I realized that I had a good view of everyone in the living room and that gave me freedom to participate in any conversation that was going on, whether it was with my brother (who is drawn as being next to me) or my other siblings in the other half of the room. My brother who is sitting next to me, is in a position where he is focused more on eating and speaking with me, rather than joining in the conversations of my other siblings. My sister, who is on the first couch, is trying to speak to my oldest brother on the other couch to the far right. My sister tries to attract people in her life and it seems like she has the best intentions but my family knows otherwise. Therefore, the fact that she tries to keep a conversation going is appreciated, however, my siblings do not pay much attention to her. That is why my oldest brother is on the far right corner and only half of him is in picture, just like only half of his attention is directed towards my family. My oldest brother has been going through a divorce and other issues in his life so he is unable to give anyone his full attention. Regardless of my tense family dinner, this particular Thanksgiving was a success because there were no arguments and we were all civil to one another.

Graciela Iturbide

I chose this image from Graciela Iturbide. As Crisitan mentioned, it is ironic that these woman chose this mural to be the backdrop of their photo meanwhile they had no idea who the men on the mural were. However, what really resonated with me was the mentality that these women had. I imagined that this mural must have had a lot significance to the community when it was first painted because it has three very important socialist and revolutionary leaders, but the community has grown from that moment. These young women continue to feel the significance of the mural but the people in the mural are not important to them. It reminded me of my own community and my internal struggle with my education. Although I am fascinated by what I learn in school, I recognize that most of what I am learning is insignificant in my own community. For example, neoliberalism is a theory that basically states the new political philosophy of modern society. It is fascinating to find discrepancies in marketing schemes using neoliberalism. However when I finally drive back to my home in Northeast Los Angeles I ask myself "how is this going to improve my community? do these concepts truly matter when looking at the bigger picture?" And most of the time I know that what I'm learning in my classes does not have any importance in my community.

Flora & Fauna of Mexico/ Quetzal with Jaguar by Carmen Lomas Garza

An image that has captivated me is Flora & Fauna of Mexico. Garza created this image to reference her Aztec past through creating different images as an homage to Aztec culture on papel picado. In this cutout Garza uses a quetzal to represent Aztec warriors and nobility. Its feather is meant to show its beauty and extravagance, as nobles often did. The feathers were also meant to symbolize the armor of Aztec warriors. The jaguar represents itself as one of the most dangerous predators in Mesoamerica. The Aztec symbol is depicted as unsuspecting and vulnerable to show how the Aztec people were often in fear of their lives due to the sneaky jaguar. It can also be said that the jaguar represents the Spanish colonizers and the quetzal represents the vulnerable Aztec population. The cutout continues to reminds its audience of the rich history of Aztecs. It places one in the mindset of how their ancestors may have felt as targets. The sea of forest that is included in the cutout also helps to imagine the type of environment that Aztecs were in. The lush green rain forests can also create the perfect surroundings for a jaguar or predator to hide in and attack. The black and white cutout has so much flora that it easy to imagine the lush green colors that would be in the actual forest. Also, the details on the fauna can help the onlooker picture the different colors that would be present on the animals. It is quite a colorful image in one's own imagination.

My Stencil Design

For my stencil, I created a cat, half moon, and ghost image. It was important for me to free hand my stencil because I wanted to stay with the theme of creating my own "art". I find that these images are constant symbols in my life. I've had several cats come in and out my life and they always seem to bring about a strange atmosphere. I used to have pet cats but they always seemed to run away or escape and the only cats that would remain in my life would be the stray cats around my home that were waiting for food. The red cat symbolizes my need for control. Although I do not consider myself as controlling, there are certain elements in my life that I try to cling onto. However, just like my cats, I can only have my object of desire when I do not try to possess it. I cannot force anything or anyone to stay with me so all I can do is nourish and care for that thing or person and be grateful for what I am given.
The moon is important to me because I know that no matter where I am, my loved ones are under the same moon. I have had moments while at UCLA, when I miss my friends and family but it helps to look at the moon and know that it looks exactly the same in East LA as it does in West LA.
The ghost represents mystery and cultural identity. As a Chicana, stories and images of ghosts were entrenched in my life. To truly contemplate what happens to us when we die is quite terrifying and several ancient cultures have explained the afterlife through supernatural forces. However, to quote my mom, "no me preocupo de los espantos, yo me preocupo por la gente real" (I don't worry about ghosts, I am worried about actual people). Ultimately, we should focus on what's going on with our lives right now.
These images have a lot of meaning to me but I have made them more animated to soften their eeriness. Also, it is almost Halloween so they look like innocent decorations.

Laura Alvarez

Unfortunately, I was extremely sick this week so I was unable to get to know Laura Alvarez. However, her art speaks volumes about the type of person she is. Her persona, double agent sirvienta (DAS) seems to be the character she centers her art work around. I decided to examine her print, Armor because it reflects DAS. Latinas are commonly seen as doing the housework around the home so their apron comes in handy, but it also deflects the attention from her which allows her to proceed with her life undetected. It's quite interesting that Alvarez refers to her characters, which are typically depicted as domestic workers, as DAS while many may just see these workers as invisible. When people look at domestic workers, they view them as existing to service their employers. However, it strikes me how Alvarez views domestic work. In western culture, people are often defined by their job and DAS helps to get rid of that idea. Maids are not just maids, Alvarez gives them the persona of a double agent to illustrate that domestic workers have fantastic lives outside of their job.
The print reminded me of my mother, she is a housekeeper for a hospital so she wears her uniform to work. Her uniform is a bland beige color that helps her blend into the background. However, my mom is a multifaceted person with a large personality. She is a strong and solid figure in my life that I value more than anyone. Therefore, I cannot ever imagine my mother being an invisible figure in my life, she is a strong force in my life and at work she provides a necessary service to hundreds of people everyday.

Armor

Shifra Goldman

Shifra Goldman's article "The Iconography of self determination: race, ethnicity, and class" illustrates the journey of Chican@ art. The patterns that Goldman finds within each artwork she discusses is that there is a sense of self-determination within each piece. The artists show how conscious they are of their place in society in terms of race, ethnicity, and class. However, these particular artists find a way to portray themselves into their artwork, slowly dismantling society's views of Chican@s. In 1968, Antonio Bernal painted two murals on the outside walls of Teatro Campesino. On one panel there is a line of pre-Colombian elites while on the other is a group of revolutionaries. On the side that held those revolutionaries, Bernal painted a soldadera leading a group of male revolutionaries. What is significant in Goldman's eyes is that not only is it rare to see women portrayed in artwork during this period, but that Bernal included revolutionaries from the Mexican revolution, the Civil Rights movement, and the Campesino movement, suggesting that they were all interconnected. Goldman regards ethnicity as something that is evolving among Chican@s, which is why Bernal's mural is important to an evolving ethnicity. Class is also what Chican@ artists centered their work around. Topics from deployment to working as campesinos were heavily criticized in these art pieces. Goldman concludes with stating that the Chican@/Latin@ art movement is about cultural resistance, cultural maintenance, and cultural affirmation.

I chose this image from Yolanda M. Lopez because it really struck me as a photograph that began looking into Chicana communities. Lopez creates images that go against societal norms of how Latinas are supposed to be. She captured an image of a Chicana "gang" which reminds its audience that the media is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to portraying what Latin@ communities look like. It is difficult to place these women into a category, rather they represent themselves and feel no need to be bogged down by the way society (especially men) perceive them. The beauty is in their solidarity and their own self-determination.

Alicia Gaspar De Alba

1. In your essay "Out of the House, the Halo, and the Whore's Mask: The Mirror of Malinchismo", you discuss the method in which the gallery was gendered. There seems to be a common theme within not only the Latin@ community, but several communities of color, that women should be the caregivers of the family. As women, we are commonly seen to be the ones to are forgiving and are seen as mothers. The gallery clearly illustrated this theme among the female artists. Do you believe that upcoming Chicana artists must try to deviate from creating images of Latinas as mothers in order to erase some of the obligations Latinas feel to unhealthy relationships? It is difficult for Chicanas that abide by cultural norms to even get their art featured in a gallery, so what obstacles do you predict will be in store for Chicanas who portray Chicano culture in a way that has never been seen before?

2. In your essay "There's No Place like Aztlan: Embodied Aesthetics in Chicana Art", you explain that Aztlan is about "remembering but not returning" (Gaspar De Alba 135). I have friends and family that find themselves lost in whirlpool of cultural identities. I have a friend who identifies as Ecuadoran and Czech but since he has grown up with his Ecuadoran mother, he finds it easier to easier to visit his "Ecuadoran roots". However, he admitted to me that he wants to go to the Czech Republic to "visit the motherland". Can it be argued that those with direct European ancestry are encouraged to ignore their Aztlan identity because of the privileges they receive by identifying with their mythical European homeland?

Alma R. Gomez

I am re-selecting the artist I am doing my presentation on. I have selected Alma R. Gomez mainly based on the fact that she was one of the very few painters left to chose from. However, the reason I chose a painter is because I wanted to be able to draw inspiration from an image that is created from the hands of a Chicana and hopefully create art with my own hands as well. The reason why I chose Gomez is because she creates art that reflects and represents Chican@s.

Precilla Jazmin Gutierrez

To my right you can see a portion of La Virgen's robe

Hi my name is Precilla, I am a third year transfer student from East Los Angeles College majoring in Gender Studies. I am from East LA and my family lives in El Sereno (like Professor Lopez did). I was interested in the class because I think as a Latina I noticed how bland we become once those of us from lower SES move up on the social ladder. I am meeting professionals that came from a similar background as I did and although they may physically look like my family, the material items they possess adopt a neutral palette. Affordable houses that are being built tend to be beige or tan in color and typically blend in the desolate areas their house was plotted on. Instead of going to our grandparents, swap meets, or thrift stores for our decorations, we go to Target, Wal-Mart, or Ikea. The bright and conflicting colorful colors that once inundated our lives is now gone. While we may be more comfortable in the middle class, the reminders of our culture has diminished. I am taking this course to connect to the art of Chicana culture and essentially bring color back into my little dorm room located in dull Westwood.

The image of The Virgen de Guadalupe has always been a part of my life. My mother is from a small farm town in Michoacan, Mexico, therefore she was raised with the Catholic values. When I was younger I would be forced to go to church on holidays like Easter and Christmas but since my mom had so much to juggle with as a single parent, she couldn't find time or was too tired to go regularly. My mother isn't able to read the bible and she does not attend many sermons, her knowledge of the stories in the bible are limited. I never knew the story of La Virgen until class. However, similar to other's stories, La Virgen represented hope and safety in my life. Whenever there would be a power outage, my mom would whip out the candles with Lupita's image on it. Every time I leave my house to drive back to campus, my mom prays for me as well. My mom has children that depend on her and look to her for safety so I think La Virgen is who my mom looks to for protection. Recently, I have seen more images of Chicanas depicted the same way as La Virgen and I am slowly understanding that to others, she represents the strength and beauty of Latinas. In many ways Latinas are disadvantaged and given very few resources, so La Virgen may symbolize the only person we can trust, other Latinas.