Alma López
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Alma López (born 1966) is a Mexican-born Queer
Chicana Chicano or Chicana is a chosen identity for many Mexican Americans in the United States. The label ''Chicano'' is sometimes used interchangeably with ''Mexican American'', although the terms have different meanings. While Mexican-American iden ...
artist An artist is a person engaged in an activity related to creating art, practicing the arts, or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse refers to a practitioner in the visual arts only. However, th ...
. Her art often portrays historical and cultural Mexican figures, such as the Virgin of Guadalupe and
La Llorona ''La Llorona'' (; "The Weeping Woman" or "The Wailer") is a Hispanic-American mythical vengeful ghost who is said to roam near bodies of water mourning her children whom she drowned. Origins Early colonial times provided evidence that the lore ...
, filtered through a radical Chicana
feminist Feminism is a range of socio-political movements and ideologies that aim to define and establish the political, economic, personal, and social equality of the sexes. Feminism incorporates the position that society prioritizes the male po ...
lesbian A lesbian is a Homosexuality, homosexual woman.Zimmerman, p. 453. The word is also used for women in relation to their sexual identity or sexual behavior, regardless of sexual orientation, or as an adjective to characterize or associate n ...
lens. Her art work is meant to empower women and indigenous Mexicans by the reappropriation of symbols of
Mexica The Mexica (Nahuatl: , ;''Nahuatl Dictionary.'' (1990). Wired Humanities Project. University of Oregon. Retrieved August 29, 2012, frolink/ref> singular ) were a Nahuatl-speaking indigenous people of the Valley of Mexico who were the rulers of ...
history when women played a more prominent role. The medium of digital art allows her to mix different elements from Catholicism and juxtapose it to indigenous art, women, and issues such as rape, gender violence, sexual marginalization and racism. This juxtaposition allows her to explore the representation of women and indigenous Mexicans and their histories that have been lost or fragmented since colonization. Her work is often seen as controversial. Currently, she is a lecturer at the University of California Los Angeles in the Department of
Chicana/o Studies Chicana/o studies, also known as Chican@ studies, originates from the Chicano Movement of the late 1960s and 1970s, and is the study of the Chicana/o and Latina/o experience. Chican@ studies draws upon a variety of fields, including history, sociolo ...
.


Early life and education

She was born in
Los Mochis, Sinaloa Los Mochis () is a coastal city in northern Sinaloa, Mexico. It serves as the municipal seat of the municipality of Ahome. As of the 2010 census, the population was 362,613, which was 61 percent of the municipality's population. Los Mochis is the ...
and is married to novelist and poet
Alicia Gaspar de Alba Alicia Gaspar de Alba is an American scholar, cultural critic, novelist, and poet whose works include historical novels and scholarly studies on Chicana/o art, culture and sexuality. Biography Gaspar de Alba was born on July 29, 1958 in El Paso ...
. Alma Lopéz's family moved from Los Mochis, Sinaloa, Mexico to Los Angeles when she was young. Lopez grew up visiting Mexico since their move and the influence of the Virgin Mary was something she saw in her life. Alongside the image of the Virgin Mary much of the culture from both sides of the border influenced Lopez in the development of her artwork. Lopez holds a BA from UC Santa Barbara, an MFA from UC Irvine, and a Photography Certificate from UCLA Extension.


Works


''Our Lady''

''Our Lady'' is a photo-based digital print that depicts Raquel Salinas, a performance artist, confidently staring back at the viewer, wearing a bikini of roses. In the image, below the
mandala A mandala ( sa, मण्डल, maṇḍala, circle, ) is a geometric configuration of symbols. In various spiritual traditions, mandalas may be employed for focusing attention of practitioners and adepts, as a spiritual guidance tool, for e ...
of the virgen there is a nude butterfly angel that depicts Raquel Gutierrez. The roses allude to the Virgin of Guadalupe's origin myth, though her posture and eye contact defies the traditional version of the Virgin. Her cloak is covered in images of Coyolxauhqui, the Aztec moon goddess. The juxtaposition of Catholicism iconography and indigenous goddess reference the suppression of indigenous female goddess by Catholicism and ''Our Lady'' is contemporary Chicanas re-appropriating both. Lopez views her work as empowering to women and indigenous Mexicans. To Lopez, La Virgen de Guadalope is more than a religious symbol. She is a public figure and a symbol of her culture, community and family. La Virgen also served as symbols in art work for the Chicano Movement and the Women’s Liberation Movement in Mexico which Lopez cites as further support that La Virgen is not only a religious symbol. The women photographed for the piece was motivated to model for it to reclaim her body and heal after being raped. She practices an indigenous spirituality that considers La Virgen de Guadalope to be
Tonantzin Tonantzin ( nci-IPA, Tonāntzin, toˈnáːn.tsin) is a Nahuatl title composed of ''to-'' "our" + ''nān'' "mother" + ''-tzin'' "(honorific suffix)". When addressing Tonantzin directly, males use the suffixed vocative form ''Tonāntziné'' [], and ...
, or mother earth.


Controversy

In 2001 ''Our Lady'' was included in an exhibit called ''Cyber Arte: Tradition Meets Technology'' at the
Museum of International Folk Art The Museum of International Folk Art is a state-run institution in Santa Fe, New Mexico, United States. It is one of many cultural institutions operated by the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs. History The museum was founded by Floren ...
in
Santa Fe, New Mexico Santa Fe ( ; , Spanish for 'Holy Faith'; tew, Oghá P'o'oge, Tewa for 'white shell water place'; tiw, Hulp'ó'ona, label=Tiwa language, Northern Tiwa; nv, Yootó, Navajo for 'bead + water place') is the capital of the U.S. state of New Mexico. ...
. Controversy ensued. The New Mexico Archbishop Michael J. Sheehan referred to Lopez’s Virgin as a “tart or streetwoman.” However, the overt female homoeroticism remained largely absent from the controversy. In response to this protest Lopez said that ''Our Lady'' is not about sex or sexuality, but instead about showing strong women and the real lives of Chicanas. The curator of the exhibit and Lopez received verbal and physical threats. Some of the responses to the work were homophobic, stating that the image of La Virgen did not belong to a queer feminist like Lopez. Lopez collected and posted the content of many of the threatening and supporting emails at her website. The controversy essentially became a part of the art piece itself. Following the controversy and the protest at many showings of ''Our Lady'', Lopez wrote a book entitled ''Our Lady of Controversy: Irreverent Apparition''.


''Heaven 2'' Mural

''Heaven 2'' was a mural displayed outside
Galería de la Raza Galería de la Raza (GDLR) is a non-profit art gallery and artist collective founded in 1970, that serves the largely Chicano and Latino population of San Francisco's Mission District. GDLR mounts exhibitions, hosts poetry readings, workshops, a ...
from November 2000 to January 2001. It portrays a woman on her deathbed thinking of herself and her lover holding hands on the moon. It was defaced with Bible verses and the gallery staff received homophobic threats and a gunshot through their window.


''La Historia de Adentro/La Historia de Afuera'' Mural

This mural was painted by Yrenia Cervántez and Alma López on the Huntington Beach Art Center in 1995 as part of the Center's inaugural exhibition. The mural used elements of waters and waves and showed the history of people of color in the area. The contract for the mural was only through 2000, and in 2008 the new owners of the building decided to paint over it. Various Chicanx art scholars and community leaders attempted to save the mural, likening the destruction as the "equivalent to painting over the work of Diego Rivera," but the mural was ultimately lost.


''La Llorona Desperately Seeking Coyolxauhqui''

This piece is part of a 2003 series using similar titles and the same model. It depicts a close up of a young woman staring straight at the viewer and crying, alluding to
La Llorona ''La Llorona'' (; "The Weeping Woman" or "The Wailer") is a Hispanic-American mythical vengeful ghost who is said to roam near bodies of water mourning her children whom she drowned. Origins Early colonial times provided evidence that the lore ...
. Behind her is the silhouette of La Virgen with arms raised and her back to the young woman. People have suggested that La Virgen has turned her back on the young woman or is pleading for a female goddess or mourning a violated young women—alluding to La Llorona. Tattooed on the young woman's shoulder is the severed head of Coyolxauhqui and Coatlicue's fangs are stenciled over the young woman's face.


''Coyolxauhqui Returns Disguised as Our Lady of Guadalupe Defending the Rights of Las Chicanas''

The title of this piece refers to Ester Hernandez's 1976 sketch of a karate Lady of Guadalupe entitled ''La Virgen de Guadalupe Defending the Rights of the Xicanos''. Lopez's choice to use ''Las Chicanas'' instead of Hernandez's ''Los Xicanos'' conveys her focus on Mexican women. The subject of the painting is a middle-age, pregnant, indigenous women holding up one hand and a sword in her other hand. A halo on her head represents both La Virgen and Coyolxauhqui. Her hand held up suggests she is trying to stop an injustice. The sword pointing downward suggests she prefers peaceful discussion over violence, but like Coyolxauhqui and La Llorona, she will use violence to protect women.


''La Briosa y la Medusa''

''La Briosa y la Medusa'' was inspired by
Lucha Libre Lucha libre (, meaning "freestyle wrestling" or literally translated as "free fight") is the term used in Latin America for professional wrestling. Since its introduction to Mexico in the early 20th century, it has developed into a unique form ...
, which Lopez had grown up watching. This piece focuses on female
luchadores Lucha libre (, meaning "freestyle wrestling" or literally translated as "free fight") is the term used in Latin America for professional wrestling. Since its introduction to Mexico in the early 20th century, it has developed into a unique form ...
, specifically La Medusa and
La Briosa La Briosa (Spanish for The Verve One) is the ring name of a semi-retired Mexican ''luchadora'', or female professional wrestler who was primarily active from the mid-1970s until 2000. She is a second-generation wrestler, daughter of Sugi Sito, and ...
, who Lopez had found in her research on luchadoras. Lopez saw the story of Alicia Alvarado, La Medusa, who herself had been inspired by a tag team match of luchadoras to become a wrestler herself. Lopez saw these women in a male dominated sport like lucha libre and wanted to display the lesser known presence of women. Something which she herself believed that young people should see and that is the inclusion of women throughout male dominated history and events.


UCLA mural

In 2014 she and her students from her "Queer Art In LA" class at UCLA painted a mural in the LGBTQ studies offices. The mural shows the queer community and their allies protesting the police raids of the
Black Cat Tavern The Black Cat Tavern is an LGBT historic site located in the Silver Lake neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. In 1967, it was the site of one of the first demonstrations in the United States protesting police brutality against LGBT people, pre ...
.


Awards and honors

* 2018 Faculty Research Grant, UCLA Academic Senate's Council on Research *2013 Richard T. Castro Distinguished Visiting Professorship, Metropolitan State University, Denver, Colorado * 2013 UCLA Diversity Program Student's Choice LGBT Outstanding Faculty Award * 2012 UCLA Diversity Program for Innovative Courses in Undergraduate Education, LGBT Studies Program * 2011 UCLA Diversity Program for Innovative Courses in Undergraduate Education, Cesar E. Chavez Department of Chicana/o Studies * 2009 UC Regents' Lecturer, UCLA Department of Art History and the Cesar E. Chavez Department of Chicana/o Studies * 2005 Durfee Foundation's Artist Resource Completion Grant * 2005 Outstanding Community Activist, Los Angeles LGBT Center * 2004 Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice Visual Artist Grant * 2002 Arts Funding Initiative Visual Arts Mid Career Grant, California Community Foundation * 1999 Premio Pollock-Siqueiros Binacional * 1998 Brody Emerging Visual Artist Grant, California Community Foundation *1998 City of Los Angeles (COLA) Individual Artist Grant


References


External links


Official Website


(8 digital prints and notes from the artist) {{DEFAULTSORT:Lopez, Alma Mexican lesbian artists Living people Hispanic and Latino American women in the arts Artists from Sinaloa People from Los Mochis Hispanic and Latino American artists 1966 births 21st-century Mexican LGBT people 21st-century Mexican women artists 21st-century American women artists