La Virgen Analysis

The image of La Virgen has been present throughout most of our lives. From our homes to the murals in our communities. Growing up in a Hispanic/ Latino community it’s the norm to see her image either in tattoos, candles, shirts, posters, cars as well as in our churches and grocery stores. Historically, speaking her image has been used politically for instance, Cesar Chavez used her image, during the Mexican War for Independence her image was used as well. The image of La Virgen has evolved throughout time racing religious, cultural, gender and racial consciousness. Artist like Ester Hernandez and Alma Lopez tend to alter and portray the image of La Virgen into their artwork. However, in a more “liberal “way since women are always portray or …show more content…
To be view as La Virgen they view one as a devoted mother, submissive and asexual. La Llorona is negative mother and the opposite of la virgin who seeks revenge in guys and La Malinche as a trader. Alma Lopez, who identifies herself as a Chicana lesbian feminist challenges those views. In the original image of La Virgen her hands are in a prayer position and her eyes are cast down. She stands in front of the sun and a black crescent moon and wears a gown that is completely covering her body. However, in Lupe and Sirena in love features la Sirena from the popular game loteria. In this image Guadalupe embraces the Sirena and their love for each other standing in the crescent moon held by a viceroy butterfly. Also Angeles with the flowers giving it a rasquache aesthetic representation. In this image sexuality and virtue is being represented. Unity and a migration pattern. In the “print, which catalyzed the series, reflects Chicana/o experiences of migration and dislocation. Also speaks to the historical and present-day relationship that Mexicans and Chicana/os have with territory that today forms part of the United States” (178). The background is the city of Los Angles and the border between Mexico and United States and the year 1848 demonstrating the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo meaning that families become divided and we get stuck in the middle. The viceroy butterfly pretends to …show more content…
In La Virgen de las Calles Hernandez does not emphasizes in sexuality instead she focuses on a women who works in a the streets selling flowers to make a living. Still today we see women in highways or in the streets selling fruits, candies and flowers to make a living. Many times people ignored these women and don’t even think about the struggles and the sacrifices they have to go through in order to make a living. Sometimes we even see these women with kids in dangerous roads. The goal of Ester Hernandez is to make these women visible and for us to notice them. Ester Hernandez connects her image to the Mexican identity who is trying to fit in to the American identity and culture. Hernandez plays tribute to those heroic women who sacrifice for their family. For instance, transnationalism is being represented by placing the Virgen de las Calles neither here nor there but somewhere in between. Women now are living in two worlds and adopted the role as a new women by working publically instead of being at home by making visible the invisible body of the Chicana mestiza by having the audience to see these women when many times we pretend not to see them. Her garments demonstrate cultural homogeneity for instance she is dressed in a common attire of the people by wearing jeans, sweatshirt and tennis shoes. But in the same time portraying the virgin by wearing a rebozo representing the