Artwork Introduction
Wtth many pieces of artwork to look at on the website of
MOLAA, or Museum of Latin American Art, I was able to get a glimpse into specific pieces of artwork that caught my attention the most. Viewing artwork from the exhibition of
OaxaCalifornia: Through the Experience of the Duo Tlacolulokos, I found some artwork that caught my attention for the longest time possible. I selected this exhibition because our course had discussed about the Oaxaca in a past module, and I thought it would be a nice refresher of what I knew or new insight into information unknown to me. Created by artists Dario Canul and Cosijoesa Cernas in 2017, they portray Oaxacans incorporating American culture into their lives. For example, one piece of artwork from the exhibition, which is pictured on the right, shows a Oaxacan woman sitting in a chair taking a selfie while wearing a pair of Adidas shoes. Pictured in front of the woman is a Oaxacan boy looking directly at the person who comes across the artwork while holding what appears to be a marker. Another detail in the artwork is the graffiti on the bus in the bottom right corner.
Based on the artwork I looked at, I wondered why the artists decided to portray Oaxacans in a particular way and the message they were trying to get across. There is a correlation between Los Angeles and Mexico as the artists include symbols of change while showing that Los Angeles is home to many Oaxacans. Times may have changed now more than ever before, especially with the development of the selfie and style of clothing to incorporate popular brands in America such as Adidas. The young look of the people in the artwork shows that a new generation of Oaxacans that have embraced American culture while keeping roots of their Oaxacan culture. The clothing and tattoos infuse both cultures in a way that the meaning of the artwork shows the concept of change at play while keeping some old ways the same.
The year 2017 is part of a modern era as the number of developments is growing in America. Whether it is from clothing or technology, it is clear that America is showing no signs of slowing down their attempt to modernize the country further. Because of such developments, there is a struggle to keep past traditions. It is tempting to practice old traditions while being given opportunities to practice new traditions and forget their old traditions. Although I think the artwork in this exhibition, especially Smile Now, Cry Later, is not made for specific people, there is a part of me that thinks the targeted audience is indigenous people. The message of this exhibition could be to embrace change in America in a way where old traditions can still be practiced for future generations to remember. Considering the fact that this series of artwork pieces was created about four years ago, my prediction is that the artwork encourages indigenous people to be proud of what they have accomplished in the past as they move on to something new. There are things that should be forgotten and remembered, and traditions are something that should be categorized as practices to remember.
Oaxacan Life From JSTOR's Perspective
Based on the research conducted to find an intriguing piece of artwork, I came across a JSTOR article that I felt could be connected to this assignment. The article is titled "Building Migrant Civil Society: Indigenous Mexicans in the US" and written by Jonathon Fox and Gaspar Rivera-Salgado. In the article, both authors talk about how there is a growing population of indigenous people in the United States. One point they make is when they write, "Within California, Oaxacans have long-established communities in the San Joaquin Valley, the Los Angeles metropolitan and northern San Diego county. Within a relatively short time, these indigenous migrants went from invisibility to outsiders to attracting media attention and becoming a subject of both academic research and progressive activism" (Fox and Rivera-Salgado 105). California has become a popular state for indigenous migrants to settle in. Throughout the entire state, there are communities of migrants. From not receiving a lot of recognition to becoming the center of attention, indigenous migrants have been researched for academic purposes along with what they are fighting for in America. In times of being treated similar to those at the bottom of a social hierarchy, indigenous migrants just want to feel welcome, which they are not asking for much except to belong to the society of the country they migrated to.
With migrants being a chunk of the American population, "the parallel process of long-term settlement and geographic concentration has led to the creation of a 'critical mass' of indigenous Oaxacans, especially in California. This has permitted the emergence of distinctive forms of social organization and cultural expression, especially among Mixtecs and Zapotecs" (Fox and Rivera-Salgado 105). From calling an area home to growing a community in specific areas, indigenous Oaxacans have established where their communities are in California. The state is huge, and more room can be made for future indigenous migrants that decide to come. Diversity is becoming a key component throughout California and will continue to stay that way as migrants from all over Latin America make their way up north. In specifics to culture, Oaxacan culture has fit in well into the state of California while American culture is on the rise, which both cultures have unique traditions practiced.
The name of the exhibition that the artists revolved their artwork around is called Oaxacalifornia. In the article, Fox and Rivera-Salgado describe Oaxacalifornia as"...a transnationalized space in which [Oaxacan] migrants bring together their lives in California with their communities of origin more than 2,500 miles away" (Fox and Rivera-Salgado 107). Although the migrants are far away from where they came from, they have been able to come together as a community with those of a similar background. This correlates to the course theme I selected of what it means to be human. We should have communities of all sorts, whether it is for those with similar interests or for those that need emotional support. We should all be there for each other, regardless of citizenship status or race. Nothing should stand in the way of creating community to make outsiders feel welcome.
Regrouping Thoughts
This assignment was unique in which I was able to look at artwork in ways I would never think about. It has been a while since I have been to a physical museum, and being away from one for so long makes me want to go again. The atmosphere is very clean and relaxing, so there is no need to worry about trash everywhere. It is nice how museums have different areas based on the category of each piece of artwork. The variety is great for those who like looking at an assortment of artwork rather than artwork from a specific category.
Museums may not be for everyone, but it is nice to go to one at least once. By going once, people are able to decide if they want to come back or never go to one again. Viewing artwork online does not feel the same as viewing the same artwork in person, and I prefer going to a museum in person to look at artwork. The way artwork is shown online, I feel more distracted in which I am not able to think outside of the box. A benefit of viewing artwork at home is that there is no need to drive to a museum, which saves time and money. The availability of artwork at the touch of a screen is convenient as it may become a new normal with how museums temporarily function in the future because of the pandemic.
Works Cited
Flutsch, Catherine. “OaxaCalifornia: The Museum of Latin American Art, California.” Quaere Living, 19 Mar. 2021, www.quaereliving.com/post/oaxacalifornia-the-museum-of-latin-american-art-california. Accessed 12 May 2021.
Fox, Jonathan, and Gaspar Rivera-Salgado. “Building Migrant Civil Society: Indigenous Mexicans in the US.” Iberoamericana (2001-), vol. 5, no. 17, 2005, pp. 101–115. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/41675678. Accessed 12 May 2021.
Vargas, Alicia. “The Voice of Indigenous Resistance in Oaxacalifornia.” TeleSUR English, TeleSUR, 17 Sept. 2017, www.telesurenglish.net/opinion/The-Voice-of-Indigenous-Resistance-in-Oaxacalifornia-20170914-0023.html. Accessed 12 May 2021.
Wilton, Jen. “The Rise of Revolutionary Street Art in Oaxaca, Mexico.” Jen Wilton, 2 Oct. 2014, jenwilton.media/2014/10/02/the-rise-of-revolutionary-street-art-in-oaxaca-mexico/. Accessed 12 May 2021.
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