Right to left:
“Revolucionaria”, inkjet print, acrylic, mini lights, 2020, 13″x22″
“Lo Que Me Hubiera Gustado Ser A Los 8 años (What I Would Have Liked To Be At 8 Years Old), inkjet print, acrylic, mini lights, 2018, 13″x22”
“Guadalupe”, inkjet print, acrylic, mini lights, 2020, 13″x22″
This series is influenced by vernacular representations of religious icons such as the Virgen de Guadalupe in dialogue with the moral and patriotic ideals enshrined in my pre-adolescent psyche. “Revolucionaria” is inspired by the popularized images of the “soldaderas” a female revolutionary, which had all the responsibilities of a soldier during the Mexican revolution except by that they weren’t offered any payment for their services. “Lo Que Me Hubiera Gustado Ser A Los 8 años (What I Would Have Liked To Be At 8 Years Old)” takes the Japanese anime “Sailor Moon”, a popular cartoon in the 1990’s in Mexico and mashes it with post feminism and indigenous symbolism. “Guadalupe” depicts the green hood with stars seen in images of the Virgin Mary across the Americas with the children’s tale of Little Red Riding Hood, and modern consumerism. All of these reflect the internal dialogue and struggle present in all Latinx, at least of my generation, who were bombarded with western consumerism and the virtuous idols we were encouraged to emulate.
“Piña Navideña,” photograph, acrylic, Christmas lights, 2020, 18″x18″
“Piña Navideña” is inspired by the representations of women as hopeful and stoic soldiers for the Communist Revolution in paintings and propaganda during the 1920’s. Takes on nationalist sentiments were popularized in yearly calendars when I was growing up in Mexico and put on the walls in the local markets and “carnicerias” (butchershops).