428:, 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.
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368:. 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
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265:'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
353:
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
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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
272:
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
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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
402:
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
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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.
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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.
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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.
304:. 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.
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López, Alma, et al., editors. “It’s Not about the Santa in My Fe, but the Santa Fe in My Santa.” Our Lady of
Controversy, University of Texas Press, 2011, pp. 249–292, www.jstor.org/stable/10.7560/719927.16.z
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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
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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
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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
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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.
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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
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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
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pointing downward suggests she prefers peaceful discussion over violence, but like Coyolxauhqui and La Llorona, she will use violence to protect women.
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2011 UCLA Diversity Program for Innovative Courses in Undergraduate Education, Cesar E. Chavez Department of Chicana/o Studies
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Liberation Movement in Mexico which Lopez cites as further support that La Virgen is not only a religious symbol.
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Lopez holds a BA from UC Santa Barbara, an MFA from UC Irvine, and a Photography Certificate from UCLA Extension.
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2009 UC Regents' Lecturer, UCLA Department of Art History and the Cesar E. Chavez Department of Chicana/o Studies
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2012 UCLA Diversity Program for Innovative Courses in Undergraduate Education, LGBT Studies Program
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of the virgen there is a nude butterfly angel that depicts Raquel Gutierrez. The roses allude to
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735:"Shame As It Ever Was Twelve years after "Our Lady" controversy, artist Alma López looks back"
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Coyolxauhqui Returns Disguised as Our Lady of Guadalupe Defending the Rights of Las Chicanas
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Coyolxauhqui Returns Disguised as Our Lady of Guadalupe Defending the Rights of Las Chicanas
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914:"Some Like A Virgin, Some Don't / Alma Lopez generates controversy in New Mexico"
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lens. Her art work is meant to empower women and indigenous Mexicans by the
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2013 UCLA Diversity Program Student's Choice LGBT Outstanding Faculty Award
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166:. Her art often portrays historical and cultural Mexican figures, such as
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2018 Faculty Research Grant, UCLA Academic Senate's Council on Research
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944:"Why Did Huntington Beach Allow a Chicano Mural to Get Whitewashed"
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420:, which Lopez had grown up watching. This piece focuses on female
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Following the controversy and the protest at many showings of
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2013 Richard T. Castro Distinguished Visiting Professorship,
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2002 Arts Funding Initiative Visual Arts Mid Career Grant,
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La Virgen de Guadalupe Defending the Rights of the Xicanos
818:"Artist in Residence Spotlight: Alma Lopez: Perseverance"
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2005 Durfee Foundation's Artist Resource Completion Grant
998:
612:
503:
1998 City of Los Angeles (COLA) Individual Artist Grant
390:'s 1976 sketch of a karate Lady of Guadalupe entitled
590:"Cork bishop criticises 'Our Lady in bikini' exhibit"
221:, Sinaloa, Mexico to Los Angeles when she was young.
559:"I never intended to offend, says 'Our Lady' artist"
376:'s fangs are stenciled over the young woman's face.
882:Alba, Alicia Gaspar de; López, Alma (April 2011).
1011:
907:
905:
903:
707:. Duke University Press. pp. 53–55, 66–68.
269:is contemporary Chicanas re-appropriating both.
621:"Protesters picket UCC as artist defends image"
1030:Hispanic and Latino American women in the arts
522:"Alma Lopez | Smithsonian American Art Museum"
321:Our Lady of Controversy: Irreverent Apparition
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884:Our Lady Of Controversy Irreverent Apparition
1006:(8 digital prints and notes from the artist)
728:
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347:La Historia de Adentro/La Historia de Afuera
307:In response to this protest Lopez said that
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359:La Llorona Desperately Seeking Coyolxauhqui
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105:La Llorona Desperately Seeking Coyolxauhqui
783:"War of the Roses: 'Our Lady' 10 years on"
29:
881:
846:
721:
497:1998 Brody Emerging Visual Artist Grant,
971:"The Evolution of LGTBQ Studies at UCLA"
847:Lord, Catherine; Meyer, Richard (2019).
494:1999 Premio Pollock-Siqueiros Binacional
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294:Cyber Arte: Tradition Meets Technology
78:University of California Santa Barbara
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475:2005 Outstanding Community Activist,
174:, filtered through a radical Chicana
1045:Hispanic and Latino American artists
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677:
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600:from the original on 24 October 2012
588:Roseingrave, Louise (24 June 2011).
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210:and is married to novelist and poet
192:University of California Los Angeles
159:(born 1966) is a Mexican-born Queer
1065:21st-century American women artists
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1060:21st-century Mexican women artists
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544:McNay Art Museum Online Collection
386:The title of this piece refers to
292:was included in an exhibit called
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1055:21st-century Mexican LGBTQ people
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631:from the original on 6 April 2017
569:from the original on 4 March 2016
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663:. Seal Press. pp. 114–115.
298:Museum of International Folk Art
969:Wolf, Jessica (July 17, 2017).
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912:Warren, Nancy (27 April 2001).
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733:Limón, Enrique (July 2, 2013).
499:California Community Foundation
490:California Community Foundation
217:Alma Lopéz's family moved from
74:University of California Irvine
619:English, Eoin (24 June 2011).
557:English, Eoin (24 June 2011).
337:was a mural displayed outside
319:, Lopez wrote a book entitled
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1:
781:Sanchez, Casey (5 May 2011).
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455:Metropolitan State University
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424:, specifically La Medusa and
705:Chicana Sexuality and Gender
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661:Women of Color and Feminism
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787:The Santa Fe New Mexican
394:. Lopez's choice to use
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202:Early life and education
1020:Mexican lesbian artists
918:San Francisco Chronicle
850:Art & queer culture
659:Rojas, Maythee (2009).
477:Los Angeles LGBT Center
398:instead of Hernandez's
263:the Virgin of Guadalupe
168:the Virgin of Guadalupe
1040:People from Los Mochis
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243:(2011) by Alma Lopéz.
756:"Faculty: Alma Lopez"
703:Blake, Debra (2008).
414:La Briosa y la Medusa
408:La Briosa y la Medusa
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212:Alicia Gaspar de Alba
194:in the Department of
133:Alicia Gaspar de Alba
1035:Artists from Sinaloa
302:Santa Fe, New Mexico
950:. September 8, 2017
485:Visual Artist Grant
280:, or mother earth.
208:Los Mochis, Sinaloa
526:americanart.si.edu
457:, Denver, Colorado
339:Galería de la Raza
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1004:el ANDAR Magazine
860:978-0-7148-7834-8
714:978-0-8223-4310-3
670:978-1-58005-272-6
445:Awards and honors
196:Chicana/o Studies
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999:Official Website
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85:Notable work
1050:1966 births
740:January 14,
540:"Chuparosa"
418:Lucha Libre
400:Los Xicanos
284:Controversy
76:, BA from
59:Nationality
1014:Categories
869:1090678799
766:14 January
508:References
432:UCLA mural
422:luchadores
366:La Llorona
219:Los Mochis
172:La Llorona
157:Alma López
146:.almalopez
23:Alma López
948:OC Weekly
426:La Briosa
374:Coatlicue
278:Tonantzin
72:MFA from
69:Education
629:Archived
598:Archived
567:Archived
335:Heaven 2
328:Heaven 2
317:Our Lady
309:Our Lady
290:Our Lady
288:In 2001
267:Our Lady
255:Our Lady
249:Our Lady
241:Our Lady
176:feminist
121:Movement
99:Heaven 2
93:Our Lady
928:30 June
797:30 June
635:30 June
604:30 June
573:30 June
296:at the
259:mandala
179:lesbian
161:Chicana
139:Website
124:Chicana
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187:Mexica
164:artist
129:Spouse
113:, 2004
107:, 2003
101:, 2000
95:, 1999
481:2004
349:Mural
330:Mural
232:Works
982:2019
956:2019
930:2011
888:ISBN
865:OCLC
855:ISBN
799:2011
768:2015
742:2015
709:ISBN
665:ISBN
637:2011
606:2011
575:2011
372:and
170:and
148:.com
45:1966
41:1966
38:Born
300:in
144:www
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
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