Weekly Selfie: 11/23

This selfie I had taken when I went to Spain in the summer of 2021. I had visited Madrid and Barcelona in Spain. My maternal grandfather is from Asturias, Spain. So let alone my first time out of the country, I had visited Spain to see my Spaniard roots. That’s why I had chosen this picture. Plus, it also had La Sagrada Familia church in the background, so I wanted to show historical buildings in the picture as well to relate to my roots. I also added my son who always makes me feel at home. Also a picture of my mother and I when we were in New York City at Radio City Music Hall seeing a Spanish artist, Rosalia. I also added a picture of a person covered in the flag of El Salvador. My father is 100% Salvadoran and my mother is 50% Salvadoran. And lastly, I added a picture of the New York skyline from the New Jersey side of the Hudson River, since I was born and raised in New Jersey. I also would like to point out that I specifically bought this red dress with flowers on it for my trip to Spain. I loved how it had a high slit on one side of the dress. I thought red would represent my latin and Spanish heritage.

Mirzoeff, Ch. 6:

1. We have already not only long absorbed the costs of this conflict but learned to find them beautiful.
2. We need to compare across time and space and learn to see from other people’s perspectives as well as our own.

These quotes and entire chapter are talking about the climate change happening on Earth due to humans. The first quote goes to show how the conflict and cause of climate change has made us appreciate nature more. These climate change effects have gone on for so long that because of the damage, it makes us see things more clearly and appreciative. The second quote talks about looking through other people's perspectives and how climate change is changing not just by your home but somewhere else around the globe. Even in general, it is always good to think about other people's perspectives instead of your own to gain more knowledge.

Last week’s quotes relating to my selfie in NY Times article about Frida:

1. “The ancient objects convey the couple’s eclectic taste and deep appreciation for Mexican art and archaeology.”
2. “The supplementary mix of Mesoamerican objects, one of the many types of art the couple favored, with her paintings and photographs divulge her yearning for Mexico’s indigenous and agrarian culture and her conflicts with capitalism, especially in the income inequality she witnessed during her travels in the United States.”
3. “Kahlo championed her homeland’s indigenous customs in wearing huipiles (woven tunics), rebozos (shawls) and flouncy, long skirts.”

Amy Sherald, Breonna Taylor:

1. “I wanted this image to stand as a piece of inspiration to keep fighting for justice for her. When I look at the dress, it kind of reminds me of Lady Justice.”

2.  "She calls this portrait a contribution to the “moment and to activism—producing this image keeps Breonna alive forever.”

Amy Sherald Effect:

1. "All are African-American. Should this matter? It does in light of the artist’s drive to, in her words, seek “versions of myself in art history and in the world.” 

2. "When art changes in the present, it changes in the past, too."

Kehinde Wiley, Classic Spin:

1. "For the moment depicted in the painting, the men are protected and invincible, inhabiting an Arcadian realm far removed from the grit of the artist’s childhood."

2. "Mr. Wiley’s champions tend to view his work in overt political terms. He redresses the absence of nonwhite faces in museum masterpieces, “using the power of images to remedy the historical invisibility of black men and women,”"

Black Masculinity:

1. "As I wrote just after the unveiling, the portrait helped bring the many parallels between "portraitist and President" even more clearly into view."

2. "I think I’m pretty good at representing what my work stands for. But when you’re sitting down with the head of state and discussing how he fits within a history of representation, how he specifically can interface with your aesthetic—that’s a pretty high bar to cross."