All good things must come to an end

It is crazy how time has flown writing on this blog and the spring semester of my Junior year.

The class I was writing for, for those of you who don’t know, is called Border Beat.  Our job was to report on everything that surrounds border issues.

At the beginning of the class, it was really hard for me to grasp what issues surround the border, as weird as that sounds.  It was such a large topic and a large part of my life that it was hard for me to pin point exactly what I wanted to focus on.

Through this blog however, I found how much I truly love Mexican influenced art and I wish to continue working on this blog after Border Beat is over for me.  It astounds me that I was able to garner 2,000 viewers to my page doing something that I found interesting and I was passionate about.

Leaving my last class I will take at the School of Journalism at the University of Arizona, I learned you can’t fake what you are writing about.  You have to be 100% committed to what you wish to report, and you have to be passionate about it.  Too often you read articles by journalists who do not have the heart or drive to create a fully interesting story that they care about.  I found my niche in art and I want to continue writing about it through my senior year.

It was so rewarding to be apart of the Border Beat staff.  We produced more work than any other Border Beat staff in the history of the blog and I feel honored to be apart of that.  I really pushed myself, and I will continue to push myself, to create the best work I possibly can, no matter what obstacles stand in my way!

Art History of Mexico

Art History of Mexico, via http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=887168 (click on the photo to go to the page!)

It is registration time at the University of Arizona for begin scheduling our classes for the Fall 2011 semester.  I am a Journalism major, and a minor in Art History.  As I was registering for my capstone classes in the Art History department, I found the class The Art of Mexico, a course taught by Stacie Widdifield.

I always like scoping out classes before I enroll in them so I decided to go to the Art School to visit Professor Widdifield.

The class obviously focuses on the Art of Mexico, but it centers the concentration around the early 16th century to the late 18th century.

Professor Widdifield said the class is going to study not just the art itself, but how the art was influenced by major historical events, like the Spanish conquest.

“There is a drastic change of the type of art that the people of Mexico were creating after the Spanish came,” said Widdifield.  “For one of the sections of the class, we compare how that change is still present in current Mexican art.”

Another large portion of The Art of Mexico class is the religious influence.  The art that is produced from Mexico still is heavy in religion and the themes of the work.  Widdifield made it clear how relevant religion is in almost every type of art pumped out of Mexico.

“They take religion very seriously,” said Widdifield.  “An easy way for them to express their opinions in religion, good or bad, is through their art.”

After a long discussion, I decided to sign up for the class!  Running this blog, and writing for Border Beat has really sparked an interest in Mexican art for me!

Mexico US Borderlands Archives at USC

Disturnell map of the United States and Mexico in 1847, image via http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/musba/

This past weekend I took a trip to the University of Southern California with my improv troupe for an improv festival.  While there I really wanted to find an interesting blogging idea since I was in a new city, full of diversity and really cool art.  When I was on campus last Thursday, I accidentally found myself in the USC Fisher Museum of Art, without really finding anything substantial, I asked where I might find something Border related, and I was in luck!

Michelle Nicholas, who was working the information desk in the USC Fisher Museum of Art, pointed me in the direction of the Mexico US Borderlands Archives.

The MUSBA prototype is under construction by an interdisciplinary team led by USC faculty member Professor Michael Dear and Deborah Holmes-Wong of USC Library’s AIMS (Archiving, Imaging, and Metadata Services) group.  The project is being funded by USC Provost’s “Initiative on Immigration and Integration” and the USC College’s “Infrastructure and Centers Initiative”.

The goal of the MUSBA project is to compile a resource page for all Borderlands information.  The website consists of timelines, important dates of the border, important places on the border, as well as an archive of documents, images, maps, and statistics surrounding the border.

The website is really interactive and I found it extremely helpful with finding out more information about the border.

One area of the website I particularly enjoyed was the Images Section.  This shows old photographs of the border in its early stages, and some of the first drawn maps of the border.  With over 100 results, I couldn’t get through all of the images but I highly encourage anyone else to explore the section of the website.

Border Art: Alfred J. Quiroz

Quiroz's stainless steel installation on the Nogales, Sonora Border fence

Alfred J. Quiroz, a University of Arizona professor, is a large advocate and artist for Latin and Mexican issues.  He has multiple works located on the border fence to spark discussion of the border wall.

Aside from his work on the border wall, Quiroz is also known for his paintings.  The Latino Art Community published a story with Quiroz analyzing and explaining the meaning behind his paintings.  Check that out here!

Quiroz discusses in his Latino Art Community story how important it is to raise questions about his own culture, here as a Latino man in America, and the culture of his family.  He analyzes popular images in the Latino culture like The Lady of Guadalupe.  It is important to have these kinds of artists to play a “devil’s advocate” with the symbols associated with both the Latino and American cultures.

Another project Quiroz oversaw was bringing Border Dynamics to the University of Arizona, with help from former president of the University Peter Likins.  The project was moved to the University of Arizona from the Nogales border in 2002 and resides on campus in front of the Harvill Building.

Quiroz has and continues to make an impact in the art community through his installations on the Nogales border wall and his mixed media paintings.  I look forward to seeing what else he contributes to the art world!

Check out this video as Quiroz discusses his latest project Parade of Humanity: Border Milagros

Panoramic look at Quiroz's latest work "Parade of Humanity: Border Milagros", photo courtesy of Alfred J. Quiroz

Underwater Sculpture

The Silent Evolution close up, photo courtesy of underwatersculpture.com

While Stumbling, I came across the artist Jason deCaires Taylor, and sculptor who lives and works in Mexico.

Taylor was the head sculptor and enterprised a monumental project to take place in Cancun, Mexico.  Taylor, originally from Europe, came to Mexico  in 2009 to head up the MUSA Museo Subacuático de Arte, a.k.a the Underwater Museum of Art.

Taylor was to commission 403 life-size sculptures made out of cement to be placed in the Cancun Marine Park.

The goal of MUSA was to create a reef for the marine life in the area.  With the depletion of the coral reef, MUSA wanted to create a lasting reef that was art!

MUSA now has four underwater exhibits:

La Jardinera de la Esperanza (The Garden of Hope)

El Coleccionista de los Sueños Perdidos (The Archive of Lost Dreams)

Hombre en Llamas (Man on Fire)

La Evolución Silenciosa (The Silent Evolution)

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Taylor is currently working on his next installation to go in the MUSA this year.  It will feature local and international artists and be a place to highlight the works in art and science.

Locations of MUSA, photo courtesy of underwatersculpture.com

Check out more information on MUSA and the underwater sculptures HERE

And check out this video of the Silent Evolution

Sylvia Ji

One of Sylvia Ji's paintings influenced by Mexico (photo credit to sylviaji.com)

Sylvia Ji is an artist whose work I have been following for awhile.  She has a heavy influence from Mexico, especially from sugar skull art.

Ji received a BFA in Illustration from the Academy of Art in San Francisco in 2005.  Since then, she has traveled the world showing her work in many exhibits, and getting her work published in magazines like LA Weekly

Ji's art on the cover of LA Weekly (photo credit to LA Weekly)

Ji says on her website that she is influenced from international culture and art.  With sugar skulls and Dia De Los Muertos being a large part of the Mexican culture, it is cool to see an up and coming artist in the United States take such direct influence from the traditions of Mexico.

Check out more information on Sylvia Ji at her website and make sure to follow her career.  I see her making a huge impact on the art world! Follow her on twitter as well!

And take a second to watch this interview by Art Adventures where Sylvia talks about her current work, her influences, and what to expect from her in the future.

“I think [Mexican Art] is the theme I am going to be running with in the future” said Li

The Life of Bryan (on the border!)

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At the University of Arizona for the past couple of months, the Associated Students of the University of Arizona (also known as ASUA) has been gearing up for elections for the 2011-2012 executives and senate.  I was running for Executive Vice President, which looks over the 500+ clubs and organizations around the University, as well as chair the senate meetings.

On top of the election season, I have had to write stories for Border Beat, the class that put this blog in motion, as well as update this blog once a week, and keep my Facebook friends and twitter followers up to date on border issues.

As of Wednesday March 9, 2011, I was elected to the position of ASUA Executive Vice President with 1,777 votes (beating the other candidate by 889 votes) and since then I have been thrust into the world that is ASUA and being an executive in the student government.

I’m excited and nervous to see where my adventures take me in the student government.  It is something I really care about and I am looking forward to what the position brings me.

One major component I am looking forward to is chairing the senate.  The ASUA Senate deals with many issues that revolve not only with the UA, but also around the border.  This past year the senate discussed issues like SB1070 with their constituents and the other senate members.  I think people forget just how influential and how much power the student government have at the UA and that they can make a difference.

 

La Botana Grill & Cantina

The banner on La Botana Grill & Cantina's website

La Botana Grill & Cantina is an authentic Mexican restaurant located at 3200 N. 1st Avenue.

This south-of-the-border grill is known there for their exceptional flavor and creative spins on traditional Mexican dishes.  La Botana’s signature dish, the Zesty Diskada, is a customer favorite.

The Zesty Diskada is a mound of steak or chicken mixed with Mexican goodies including chorizo, bacon, peppers, and cheese.

For pickier eaters, La Botana also offers a build-your-own burrito so you can decide exactly what you want to enjoy.

Picture from the La Botana website

Today, Monday Feb. 28th, Groupon is offering a great deal for La Botana.

Groupon is a website that tailors deals to your area by offering huge discounts for anything ranging from horseback riding to massages.

For Tucson’s Groupon of the day, they are offering $10 for $20 worth of Mexican fare and drinks at La Botana Grill.

The 50% saving doesn’t last forever.  The coupon lasts for 1 day (and currently, there is 14 hours and 37 minutes left for the deal) so you have to act fast to get the savings!

The coupon expires on July 2, 2011.  To check out more groupons during the year, sign up for their morning emails giving you the deal of the day.

Frida Kahlo

Frida Kahlo, Self-portrait with Thorn Necklace and Hummingbird, Nikolas Muray Collection, Harry Ransom Center, The University of Texas at Austin

Frida Kahlo, born in Coyoacán, Mexico was a Mexican painter.  She is known best for her self-portraits and the message that came from them.

She uses intense, vibrant colors to depict pain and passion.  Her work celebrates national and indigenous Mexican traditions.  Her portraits are also referenced as feminism, because none of her work compromises the depiction of the female form.

Kahlo married Diego Rivera, a Mexican muralist best know for his mural in the Rockefeller center, which was torn down after noticing influences of communism in the mural.

Man at the Crossroads, in the Rockefeller Center in NY

Kahlo painted 143 pictures, 52 of which were influenced by her marriage, numerous miscarriages, and surgeries.  Kahlo became an active communist with her husband and her work was also influenced by communism.

Frida Kahlo died in 1954.  The cause of death was pulmonary embolism, but many believed it was an overdose.  The day before her death, Kahlo wrote this in her diary:

I hope the exit is joyful — and I hope never to return

– Frida

Oaxaca, Mexico

Oaxaca, Mexico has a large influence of the arts by producing some influential Mexican artists like Rufino Tamayo, Rodolfo Morales, and Francisco Toledo.

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Pictures in order of artists listed above

Many artists from Oaxaca are influenced by their indigenous culture. Recently, Oaxaca has been a huge area for urban and street art.  According to Colectiva, “Amongst other things, Oaxaca is known for its mezcal, its long running revolutionary spirit, its great food, and its kick-ass urban art. Here then are 9 photographs that I shot as I walked through Oaxaca’s cobbled stoned streets that document its vibrant street art scene.”

Check out the photographs HERE