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Our Nuestra de Guadalupe in New Mexico is Sacred
Painting by Alma Lopez
Good morning Margaret, thank you for your quick response. I didn't explain myself well. The museum and especially the curator, Tey Mariana Nunn, a Chicana, are great supporters. They are the ones who are trying to keep the work in the museum..
The instigator is someone by the name of Jose Villegas. Please see his email below to me and also some more great responses from friends.
We are collecting letters of support which should be emailed to me and I will forward them or can be emailed to the curator Tey Mariann Nunn at TMNunn@moifa.org in support of both us, artists and museums exhibiting work, and against people like Villegas.
Thank you, Alma
Subject: Our Nuestra de Guadalupe in New Mexico is Sacred Date: Sat, 17 Mar 2001 15:17:09 -0700 From: "Jose Villegas" <Jose_Villegas@email.msn.com>
March 17, 2001
Dear Ms. Lopez:
I posted a response on March 17, 2001 in your Web site, however, I am not sure if you received it. Therefore, I am resending another email to you. As you know or aware of, our local Santa Fe newspaper wrote a story "Skimpily Attired 'Our Lady' Protested'. So far, the community reaction to this story is very unfavorable towards your Cyber Arte exhibit and you may find yourself in some serious trouble with our raza in Northern New Mexico.
If you are truly tune in with our gente's religious history in Northern New Mexico and how we feel towards this specific issue, you will understand that regardless of where you live, your disrespect towards the catholic community and our blessed mother will not be tolerated in Northern New Mexico.
According to the newspaper article, you stated "I have supporters in New Mexico, pointing out that members of the audience for a panel discussion in Santa Fe expected some controversy over "Our Lady" and attended to offer their support".
Let me reassure you one thing about your New Mexico supporters, we will find out who they are and when we do, we will do whatever it takes to admonish them in the public form and hold thier actions accountable. We will take them to a higher level. They have no clue on what a controversy is in New Mexico, especially when you mess with a sacred image that does not belong to you. Some people say it is alright to do your own onda in art expression, however, when you cross the sacred boundaries of our gente traditional values of over five hundred years, you cannot imposed and/or provoke thought on an issue that will inflame emotions against your own gente. Our Nuestra de Guadalupe does not belong to the new age interpretation of the millienum century and never will.
Again, how can you transformed a sacred fifteenth century "sacred" image of our blessed mother into a millienum century man-made object? What you consider "devotion" in this type of art is not what my generation was taught by our parents, grandparents, and ancestors.
I do recognize that you have special graces that god has given to you to share with others such as your art work, however, you have no say-so regardless on whether you think you have the moral, legal, or ethical right to become irreverence toward something considered "sacred" or "inviolable" with our gente, especially with our blessed mother.
A point of clarification, Our Nuestra de Guadalupe picture really constitutes Guadalupe. It makes the shrine whether it is located in Mexico City, Los Angeles, and/or Santa Fe, New Mexico; it occasions the devotion. It is taken as representing the Immaculate Conception, being the lone figure of the woman with the sun, moon, and star accompaniments of the great apocalyptic sign, and in addition a supporting angel under the crescent. Nothing else counts!
Northern New Mexico also has a long history of struggle with the United States Congress over the recognition of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo and its provisions relating to our New Mexico Land Grants, senior water-rights, and the preservation of our mother tongue. The list goes on and on. So what is it that you don't understand about our Indio-Chicano-Mexican history relating to our devotion to Our Nuestra Madre?
So then, what is the message I bring to you today? Is it our common future? Yes it is? It seems that we are living in a time of prophesies, a time of definitions and decision. We are the generation with the responsibility and option to choose the path of life with a future for our children or the path that defies the laws of respect.
We were also told that there would come a time when parents would fail this obligation, and we could judge the decline of humanity by how we treat our children. Yes, the time has come because we have your pluralistic society that says anything goes and that your type of Christian philosophy is okay. Again, my generation does not support your point of view relating to sacred art images being disrespected. You have no right to provoke new thoughts of what type of sacred art images are accepted or not in my generation.
In conclusion, I am here today to submit to you that we will defend our blessed mother from the assaults that you have decided to aggressively pursue.
Our indio-Chicano-Mexican religious beliefs, customs, traditions, principles, and value system is part of an entire Nuestra de Guadalupe story. Our sacred images and religious symbols is the foundation of our faith and belief systems in place and should not be taken advantage of. Copyright and the Freedom of Speech laws that you claim to possess does not apply to my generation. Again, these sacred images belong to the indigenous people of the Americas, not you and /or your new-age ideology that your exhibit portrays as "CyberArte Tradition Meets Technology".
One thing you don't do in Northern New Mexico is become "playful" over a sacred image that will create irrapable harm to its people and culture. In this case, you violated the sacred boundaries of our Indio-Chicano-Mexicano community. Ya! Basta! You started a firestorm in New Mexico and we are going to put it out.........
Que Viva La Raza! Que Viva La Causa! Que Viva Los Brown Berets! Que Viva Cesar Estrada Chavez!
José L. Villegas, Sr.
Dear Mr. Villegas,
Thank you so much for taking the time to write to me about your response to the current exhibition Cyber Arte at the New Mexico International Museum of Folk Art in Santa Fe, and specifically one of my images titled Our Lady.
"Our Lady" image is based on an essay titled "Guadalupe the Sex Goddess" by Sandra Cisneros in the book Goddess of the Americas/La Diosa de las Americas edited by Ana Castillo. I feel that the essay, as well as my image are attempts by Chicanas to find personal connections with this image that we grew up with.
I portray our lady as a strong Indigena/Chicana/Latina/Mexicana, and not as the young passive (head bowed with clasped hands) image that I grew up seeing in my home and in my community. The reason for this is because all the women I have known in my family and in community are very strong mujeres who struggle to nurture and provide for their families. I wanted to honor and respect their strength. And, I can only imagine that the mother of Jesus would be an incredibly strong mujer to raise and endure the pain of her son's struggles.
I portray the angel carrying her on the half moon nude because men and women are beautiful children of our creator. Our bodies are beautiful. Among so much more, when I see women's breasts I think of how beautiful they are… how my mother breast-fed me… and of nurturing… I can't help but wonder what may be going through a person's mind that thinks that breasts are not beautiful and nurturing, but something to be hidden.
My two friends who collaborated with me on this image are strong and beautiful women whom I respect and admire. Both are community activists and one teaches young people self esteem/culture through performance art.
The entire exhibition is beautiful. The curator, the exhibition designer, and the entire staff of the museum have done an amazing job of connecting traditional images with digital technology. At the reception and the panel discussion, I met many Nuevo Mexicanos who seemed to like the entire exhibition, including my work. Of course, not everyone will like my work and that's alright.
Again thank you so much for taking the time to let me know that you saw the exhibition and your thoughts on my work.
Sincerely, Alma Lopez
Subject: Re: Our Nuestra de Guadalupe in New Mexico is Sacred Date: Sun, 18 Mar 2001 12:56:47 -0800 From: Favianna Rodriguez <favianna2@yahoo.com> To: <almalopez@earthlink.net>, Jose Villegas <Jose_Villegas@email.msn.com> CC: <dadsacp@hotmail.com>
Great Response Alma! I wanted to write something to Mr. Villegas expressing my outrage at his remarks, which are very male-centered and catholic-centered. What he left out was a critical analysis of how it was the catholic church who imposed such "sacred" icons and such traditions in the first place, through the genocide of an entire continent. And what does he mean by "sacred"? Guadalupe is sacred to me and I loved your piece. I thought it had a very powerful message. On the contrary, I think the piece reflects years of indoctrination by the Catholic Church, and how you are saying "no", and putting up a strong mujer. That's what bothers these hardcore Chicanos activists, they can't handle the powerful mujer, they especially can't handle a queer powerful mujer. So I don't fall for his interpretation. I think it's very narrow-minded. So you have my support, the support of a Xicana here in Oakland Califazatlan.
Peace. Favianna Rodriguez
Subject: Re: Our Nuestra de Guadalupe in New Mexico is Sacred Date: Sun, 18 Mar 2001 16:21:14 -0700 March 18, 2001
Dear Favianna:
Thank you for your email message.
How can you blame the catholic church as the only one in history that imposed such "sacred" icons and such traditions in the first place. If you have seriously studied the historical contributions of Our Nuestra de Guadalupe relating to Southwest history, especially chicano(a) history from over five hundred years, your comment that "hardcore chicano activists, can't handle the powerful mujer, they especially can't handle a queer powerful mujer" is out of line. At no time did I personally attack Alma because of her sexual orientation and/or gender due this type of art. And I will not even go there! Orale!
On a personal note, it was my mothers love that created the man that I am. It is my mothers sangre and tears that has mold me to what I am today. I have never disrespected my elders and thier elders, especially "la mujer" in my barrio. By all respect, don't give me this bullshit about critical analysis of how it was the catholic church who imposed such "sacred" icons and such traditions in the first place, through genocide of an entire continent. There is also another side of a story, especially the church history. Either your educated about New Mexico and Southwest church history or your not! So what gives?
On a last note, what is blasphemy? Blasphemy is insulting language which expresses contempt for God, either directly or through his saints and holy things. Sacrilege art is a form of blasphemy, irreverent actions and thoughts against God, the saints and angels, or holy persons and things, are also blasphemous.
Again, I am a man of devotion to our blessed mother. Let no man or woman interfere in this devotion.
José
Subject: Re: Our Nuestra de Guadalupe in New Mexico is Sacred Date: Sun, 18 Mar 2001 23:46:39 EST
It was clear that the guy who wrote that letter to you knows nothing about the struggle of chicanas within la Raza. His message came across loud and chauvinistically clear. Subject: Re: Our Nuestra de Guadalupe in New Mexico is Sacred
Date: Mon, 19 Mar 2001 00:38:52 EST From: RGarciaMon@aol.com
Hi Alma, nice, diplomatic response. If you wanted to be confrontational (and you don't) you could tell the idiot to look up fascism in the dictionary. Ramon
Subject: Re: Our Nuestra de Guadalupe in New Mexico is Sacred
Wait, a minute, did i just step into a time machine and accidently hit reverse to the Spanish Inquisition? Luis Alfaro was right...Jesus save us...from some of your followers!!
Josie
From: "Alma Lopez" <alma310@yahoo.com>
Friends,
Thank you for everyone who has sent in letters and emails of support.
Next Wednesday, April 4 at 10am at the Museum of International of Folk Art, the governing board of New Mexico's state museum system will consider whether to remove from the Cyber Arte exhibition an artwork that has offended some Roman Catholics. Cyber Arte scheduled to be on exhibit through October 28, 2001 features computer-inspired work by contemporary Hispana/Chicana/Latina artists, all of who intentionally combine elements traditionally defined as "folk" with current computer technology to create a new aesthetic.
The "offending" work is titled "Our Lady" by Chicana artist Alma Lopez. This work features performance artist Raquel Salinas as a strong Virgen dressed in roses and community activist Raquel Gutierrez as a nude butterfly angel and was inspired by the Sandra Cisneros essay "Guadalupe the Sex Goddess" in Ana Castillo's book "Goddesses of the Americas".
The protest was started by Jose Villegas and now Archbishop Michael J. Sheehan has weighed in, calling the artwork "sacreligious." You can read more about it in the following Web sites:
http://www.newmexican.com
We are asking for your help, because:
1. As Chicanas/Latinas visual/literary/performance artists, whether Catholic or not, if we grow up with the image of the Virgen de Guadalupe then we have and should be able to express our relationship to her. Many have such as Yolanda Lopez, Ester Hernandez, and Sandra Cisneros and many more. 2. As a community activist, Jose Villegas' attacks are divisive especially in regards to gender.
2. The work is art and as such it expresses the artist's interpretation of the Guadalupana and provokes a response from viewers. If the board of regents removes the work, where will it next draw the line? Where is the right of artists to create and museums to exhibit without censorship? To help, please do any of the following:
1. Email the museum in support of artist and museum's right to exhibit artwork.
jice@moifa.org Dr. Tey Marianna Nunn, Curator of Contemporary Hispano/Latino Collections
2. Email or call your friends, especially if you have any who live in New Mexico and may be able to attend the meeting on Wednesday April 4 at 10am at the Museum. Please ask them to see the exhibition, write their comments down, let someone at the museum know how they felt about the exhibition. More information at www.moifa.org or (505) 476- 1200
3. Write a letter in support of my work, the exhibition and the work of curator Tey Marianna Nunn and the museum staff. The letter should be addressed to:
Thomas Wilson, Director
And please cc the following: Joyce Ice, Ph.D.
Dr. Edson Way
Alma Lopez c/o Tongues/VIVA 1125 N. McCadden Place Suite 148
Thank you.
Octavio Romano wrote:
a review by Octavio I. Romano-V., Ph.D.
When I visited the web-site of Alma Lopez, I was immediately struck by the magnificent technical ability of the artist. The composition is masterful, the color renditions a visual delight that informs the viewer that one is in the presence of one of the leading artists of this nation. To many, her works may seem "photographic," and to those among the artistic cognoscenti, they may evoke the works of Andy Warhol. But Warhol was inimitably superficial, a little boy toying with with infantile desire for a can of soup to depict his idea of heaven. Warhol's god was technology. Warhol's god was always technology. Warhol's god was a tin can.
Not so with Alma Lopez.
In her series on the Virgin of Guadalupe , her principal theme is lesbianism, as currently exhibited in Santa Fe, New Mexico. As such, Lopez reaches out to an all-loving god.
However, her admirers and followers seek the precise opposite, they seek not an all loving god, but a punishing, fascistic god that mercilessly punishes the "pagans," very similar to the Mexico invading Spaniards who sought not only to eliminate contrarians, but also alternatives.
All of this is sad, for I truly believe that the last thing in the mind of Alma Lopez is to foster neo-fascism in a democracy. Yet, this appears to have been the case.
Octavio I. Romano TQS============================>
Dear Octavio,
thank you for the very complimentary review. I feel that I, like any artist (visual, music, performance, literary, etc.) want to be honest and truthful in my work. My primary focus is the image, not the exhibition or the tools. For me, any media including computer technology are used to render an image and convey an idea.
The Lupe & Sirena series which you refer to are very personal works which grew from collaborations with friends. Specifically, the Lupe & Sirena series are about culture, gender and sexuality.
However, I must clarify that the image in debate "our lady" although somewhat loosely part of this series is not necessarily about "lesbianism." The intent of this image was to portray chicana/latina strength which I think are clear in the models stance with her hands on her hip and her head slightly tilting upward looking straight at the viewer as to ask, "what's up? where you from?" The nude butterfly angel holds the virgen also looking straight at the viewer. I don't feel that either necessarily convey sexual desire, just strength.
Paz, Alma
From: "Pedro Romero Sedeno" <romesedeno@hotmail.com
The Museum of International Folk Art (MOIFA) of the Museum of New Mexico is exhibiting the digital print titled "Our Lady" by Alma Lopez in a gallery showing "CyberArte: Tradition meets Technology" located in the Hispanic Heritage wing of MOIFA.
Yesterday, April 16, the Albuquerque Journal North reported that more than 1200 persons attended a meeting at Sweeney Center of the City of Santa Fe held to give their views to 4 of 7 regents of the Museum of New Mexico present, views about the digital print and also about MOIFA's validation of it as a work of art. Please note that MOIFA also reproduced the image on 11,000 announcements of CyberArte and mailed them throughout the state. Round table sessions set up by the City's "Intercultural Affairs"Department, with facilitation from the Community College of Santa Fe were sparsely attended as most attendants gathered to hear the diverse views (3 min) presented from 10 to 5pm. Although over 200 people signed up to speak, about 150 were able within the day event. The Albuquerque Journal reported that the majority of views called for removal of the digital print. In a round table discussion late in the day which happened to include Dr. Joyce Ice, director of MOIFA, a challenge was put forward to her validation of Alma's print as a work of art, or is it folk art?, noting that Hispano/Chicano artists trained in the arts are often pigeon-holed by the cultural apparatus of Santa Fe to be "folk artists", to be relegated to the ranks of folk expression and are thus excluded from the tiers of "fine art" where the validation as fine artists, usually available to artists of the dominant culture, can be given, and access to the more lucrative "fine art" market obtained. It was pointed out that Alma's print is secular art and not "devotional", as confirmed by Alma herself. How her machine-product falls into the category of folk art is somehow rationalized by MOIFA, and other artists in CyberArte, e.g. Elena Baca, as an expression of artists new to the medium or technology, in essence, Hispanics do folk art because they are too naive to do anything considered "fine art." In the round table was a white female who identified herself as a lesbian artist, and "misogyny" of the Catholic Church was her issue/perception. It was then asked what is the English equivalent for "misogyny'" for hatred of men -"androgyny"? anyways, it was articulated toDr. Ice, MOIFA director, that Alma's print might read as propaganda for "androgyny", a secularized and sexualized distortion of the Guadalupe, a distortion that serves Ice's sexual politics and that's why MOIFA has propagandized the image. Anyways, it has become clear to me, and many, that a distortion of an image has been digitally produced which is dividing my community, Mexican and New Mexican, Anglo etc. and a major cultural institution is championing this distortion of "La Guadalupana", an image which has served to unify many people and cultures for centuries. There is a gallery for comic-book "art" here in Santa Fe that I think would be a more proper venue for Alma Lopez' caricature of what it is to be "a strong woman", and a caricatura, como dicen muchos Mejicanoas aqui ,que "se esta burlando de lo que es ser Mejicano/a", y una caricatura de una DiosaMadre muy amada aqui por Mejicanos e NeoMejicanos. The Albuquerque Journal North also printed a photo of a good friend of mine, age 54, grandmother, and the heaviest community activist for years, homegirl de la gente, holding up a picture of La Guadalupe and her placard saying " Respect Cultural Identity". It's great that the Journal did not censor the Guadalupana image and instead prop the distorted image in its place as has been happening by local media here in Santa Fe. Stayed tuned, Jah love,
PRS
From: Alma Lopez <almalopez@earthlink.net
During this whole escandalo, the only times I have cried from anger and insult and hurt has been when I read stuff like "blasphemy, sacriligeous, tart, stripper" to describe the beautiful image of Raquel. Raquel is the reason that "Our Lady" is strong. Raquel is a beautiful and strong mujer.
From: XColumn@aol.com FROM UNIVERSAL PRESS SYNDICATE
THE BODY OF THE SACRED FEMININE
Her body is beautiful, brown and strong like the earth. Yet, you can't get Raquel Salinas to say much about herself without causing her to choke up with emotion. For nearly half her life, she was ashamed of her body -- burdened with guilt for having been raped.
Today, her body is the subject of a raging controversy in Northern New Mexico because Los Angeles artist Alma Lopez depicted her as "Our Lady" -- a rose-covered woman personifying pre-Columbian moon and earth entities and vestiges of the Virgen de Guadalupe. She is one body of the sacred feminine as redefined in recent Chicana art.
While the controversy continues over whether the virgin should be embodied in such a way, the woman of the body in question has become almost disembodied from the debate. Much like feminist critique of the objectivication of women in mass culture, she has remained a body with no voice. "It's my body, yet nobody's asked me anything about how I feel." Erroneously described as bikini-clad, Salinas wears a two-piece bathing suit, covered with roses. She stands on a bare-chested woman, which opponents see as an offensive reference to the Virgin standing on an angel. Lopez was inspired to depict Salinas in such a manner, partly through the writings of Sandra Cisneros -- who in one of her stories wonders what Our Lady of Guadalupe wears underneath her mantle. "Roses," said Salinas. The image Salinas depicts is that of "a heroine, of a strong woman. ... That's who I believe Guadalupe is ... a symbol of struggle," said Salinas. The image symbolically refers to women's "moon cycles," how women connect each month to life through menstruation.
To those opposed to the image, Salinas' body offends. It is violating and sacrilegious. On the surface, the controversy is about sacredness vs. the freedom of expression. When these ideals clash, there can be no winners. Yet look through the eyes of Salinas and you see something else raging: a desire for justice in a world that hungers for it and a desire to honor the sacred feminine in a world that daily dishonors women.
It is unsettling to Salinas that her body has become ground zero for this controversy. She adheres to an indigenous spirituality that views Our Lady of Guadalupe as Tonantzin -- her common name in Nahuatl meaning "Our Most Venerable Mother." "I see her as Tonantzin. I respect her. I would never do anything to disrespect her," said Salinas.
"I'm a very spiritual person. I live my life as a Christian -- that is, respecting others and respecting the earth.
Her life's work has sought to heal herself and her community. She was raped at age 18. Rather than offering compassion, those close to her made her feel shame and told her it was God's punishment. Guilt-ridden, she was made to believe it was she who had precipitated her own rape. This is one reason that led her to drink. And it was the same reason that caused her to cover herself up -- to hide her body, her curves ... her femininity.
In a sense, she led a double life. Fiercely proud of her heritage, she became politically active at a young age. She witnessed the raw brutality of police officers against protestors at the East L.A. Chicano Moratorium in 1970. "When I saw that brutality, I committed my life toward fighting injustice." Yet, through all the political movements she participated in, she was always silent about her rape.
Twelve years after being raped, she met a woman, Alba Moreno, who told her: "It wasn't your fault. You didn't ask to be raped." To hear those words was liberating, Salinas explains. No one had ever told her this. At Moreno's prompting, she became involved with the East L.A. Rape Hotline. During her training, she watched a depiction of a rape scene in the back of a car -- very similar to hers -- which brought back the shame.
After years of support groups, one-on-one therapy and Alcoholics Anonymous (nine years of being sober) -- she began her long process about feeling good again about her body. To rid herself of her shame of her own body, she began to do nude modeling at UCLA. Then she allowed herself to be artistically photographed in the nude.
Part of the controversial image was an effort by her to complete her healing from "the shame and the guilt." And the dialogue that has ensued "is part of the healing process," she noted. "I feel good about my body. I carry no shame anymore. It's part of what happened to me."
Salinas today is an artist in residence at the Catholic-sponsored Proyecto Pastoral in East L.A. She has employed Our Lady of Guadalupe in her own work as a performance artist. Several years ago, she wrote a piece called "Heat Your Own." In it, Our Lady of Gudalupe-Tonantzin appears in the 1500s to stop the bloodshed of the indigenous peoples of Mexico. Additionally, other strong women personages appear, including women who fight with the Zapatistas for farmworker rights and garment workers. The piece also addresses the realities that teens face, of survival, street and domestic violence, and AIDS. "It's mainly about hearing the voice of strong women."
People should be outraged when women's bodies are exploited to sell products, she said. "That's what we should be ashamed of. Yet nobody says anything about that."
At the center of the battle over freedom of speech and a sacred symbol is a woman who when asked if she has ever doubted her own beauty breaks down in tears. "I've never seen myself as beautiful."
COPYRIGHT 2001 UNIVERSAL PRESS SYNDICATE
From: "Pedro Romero Sedeno" <romesedeno@hotmail.com
Mr. Sedano, I suggest you spend your time educating yourself about the foundational significance of Guadalupe-Tonantzin to Mejicanoa y Chicanoa culture and to anti-NAFTA awareness, instead of pursuing your hilarious attempts to assassinate my character. I know who I am; I am not a cultural amnesiac like you. Under the treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo, I have a right to keep my culture, and I will use that right to defend the integrity of that culture, and to use it to challenge my state's cultural institutions' attempt to misdefine my culture. Alma Lopez's gender- and pseudo-spiritual political propaganda, Guadalupe-"brand" distortions, will not be championed by this institution as "art" expressing "contemporary Chicano culture" without me saying something about it. Chale! This is Nuevo Mejico, buddy, we want to preserve our traditional culture and not be brainwashed into consumer culture. Don't Californicate Nuevo Mejico. We want to foster respect for our Mejicanoa cultura raices tambien. The Guadalupe is one image we know which fosters our cultural identity, which gives us spiritual courage in our luchas and also our desfiles y fiestas. We will not allow Her image to be trivilialized by the MOIFA institution. Gudalupe delivers spiritual joy and cultural identity. If you want yours defined by Alma's pompous distortion, buy now at the MOCMA on-line. Look under "Guadalupe"-brand commodities: such as phone cards, air fresheners (Wal-Mart: Moneyhouse Aero Lady shelf listing,) and digital propaganda. If you and Sandra Cisneros and Alma want to fantasize what's under Guadalupe's clothes, you won't find panocha in flowers because you won't find a body. Guadalupe is a spirit, a living and loving spirit. And that spirit is love, compassion. The body is a limit on love. I am sorry my misguided sister Alma Lopez is just a pawn for the dominant culture and this museum. Hiding behind her racial origin, the Museum cannot plead ignorance and get away with it, its agenda of miseducation and promoting its distortions of who we are. We are a pueblo, whether because of religious and/or cultural motivations, a pueblo who will defend the integrity of our cultura y la Guadalupe. Join us Guadalupe children.
Date: Sat, 21 Apr 2001 08:36:36 -0700
RE: Vazquez wrote:
sin mas Dorinda Guadalupe Moreno
Organization: TQS Publications
Flash! 1521: Invading Spaniards destroy the art of the Aztecs Flash! 2001: Invading California Artists destroy Hispano Folk Arts in New Mexico.
By no stretch of the wildest imagination can the flower bedecked nude religious virgin of Guadalupe be called folk art, no matter how presented. Within all public accounts of MOIFA's charter there exists no clear-cut authority to palm-off as folk art such highly expensive digital works, hence, the verbal contortions.
Conveniently overlooked in all public statements by the curator, and the artist, is the fact that the work now on exhibit at MOIFA is but one of a similar series which depict the Virgin of Guadalupe in various romantic poses with mermaids. One, in particular, is titled, "Lupe (nick name for the Virgin of Guadalupe) and Mermaid in Love." They are embracing. It appears that the work by Alma Lopez is but an administrative wedge to introduce California lesbian art into the context of Northern New Mexico's folk culture.
Small wonder the reaction, while the administrator and the artist who are responsible, express surprise and astonishment.
It appears that the curator administratively responsible for this cultural fiasco is out of touch with the realities which surround her, no matter what her credentials. Either that, or her actions reflect a public abuse of administrative authority in the interest of personal values.
For me, and for so many others who have lived in New Mexico, as well as for the Hispanos of the north, the Hispanic wing of the Museum has always given me and others a warm feeling of welcome, a feeling of belonging, a feeling of pride, and satisfaction because the folk arts of Northern New Mexico have given me and us the only statement of U.S. Hispanic arts which have become world famous.
I am not ashamed to say that now, " I weep at its portending destruction by insensitive administrators and California artists."
From: "Adriana Sandoval" Tampico, Mexico Subject: GUADALUPANA Date: Mon, 28 May 2001 03:30:03 -0500
Hi Pedro, I hope readers like it and its a pleasure to help and write about us mexicanos. I extended a little bit, I hope you don't mind.
Thank you
Adriana I've seen so many comments about the desecration of our Virgin de Guadalupe. Comments involving gay, lesbian or homosexuality in this issue. I do believe that this is not about an issue about sexual preferences, but I do believe this issue is about our identity as having Mexican blood in our veins.
Studying my mayor in International Studies has given the opportunity to study the Mexican culture as for northern Mexicans, southern Mexicans, indigenous people and CHICANOS also considered as a part of Mexico. I've heard that Chicanos are loyal to their traditions and beliefs, and that this has helped them to maintain united and confident at the difficulties of the "American dream".
I think as hermanos that we are but mostly Chicanos have a huge responsibility in defending our roots; what is mostly considered sacred to all Mexicanos, Our señora de Guadalupe. Juan Diego's mantle with the image of our lady is the most marvelous miracle we have as Mexicans and believers. It is proven that the mantle was miraculously created in many ways. The proof is that the pigmentation of painting does not exist or is unknown. Every painting has to have a direction of a brush stroke, either up or down, right or left. This painting has none direction which fiscally is impossible. Scientist has proven that the painting was not painted over the mantle nor behind, they say the painting emerges from the center of the cloth to the outsides. Not to mention some of the important personalities had drawn in our Guadalupana's pupil.
It's very sad to listen people saying that she was a creation of the Catholic Church. I think we are very fortunate as pueblo MEXICANO to be chosen by her to show up and prove us she loves us and care for us. I believe that as Mexicanos, or descendants from Mexicanos have to defend our culture, our beliefs and our identity. I think that if we over pass what is sacred, we don't have anything, we don't belong anywhere, and we are not either from here or from there. Let us not lose our roots or our beliefs as many others have. "LA UNION HACE LA FUERZA" unity makes strength.
By the way... I'm Mexican.
Thank you hermanos Chicanos.
Confio que llevaran el nombre de nuestra Guadalupana muy en alto. I trust you will defend our Guadalupana with dignity as well our traditions.
Gracias | ||
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