The fine line between art and politics constantly wobbles, and
while the result is an intersection of the two realms, some may
question whether that’s a positive result.
That relationship between art, politics and its nuances will be
discussed at an event held by the Los Angeles County Museum of Art
and moderated by Chon Noriega, UCLA professor of film, television
and digital media and director of the UCLA Chicano Studies Research
Center.
The event, titled “From Ike to Iraq: Conversations with
Latino Artists on Six Decades of Art and Politics,” will
feature nine prominent Latina and Latino artists talking about the
effects of postwar American art on political movements and cultural
and societal values.
“Some people think politics is where you put your body.
Others feel art can play a role that can bring out change in
society,” Noriega said.
A range of artists will congregate at the museum, some coming
from their homes in Puerto Rico and Cuba, and some living in Los
Angeles. These artists say their diverse backgrounds and
experiences have been critical components of their
self-expression.
Among the artists scheduled to present ideas on the topic of art
and politics will be Celia Alvarez Muñoz, a prominent Latina
artist whose work involves drawing what gets lost in
translation.
Among other media, Muñoz said she utilizes street signs to
reveal what happens when Spanish is used to name streets and other
places here in the States. Muñoz further said that she tries
to show the result of mispronunciation and misunderstandings.
An example of the collision between the two languages can even
be found across the street from the museum at the La Brea Tar
Pits.
“La Brea means tar pits in Spanish. So essentially,
it’s really called the Tar Pits Tar Pits,” Noriega
said.
Such cultural dichotomy speaks to the socially-conscious nature
of the discussions scheduled to take place. Other topics of
conversation will include community activism, the civil rights
movement, and the issue of capital punishment.
A local Latino artist, Gronk, has done work on a wide range of
media, and will attend the event. His latest project is designed
for the interior of a local planetarium.
As connections are constantly made between the two spheres of
art and politics, Gronk said that most art is political.
“Artists are influenced by the things that are always
taking place. Sometimes we produce something that is not for our
time,” Gronk said.
Another of the more senior artists who will present his ideas is
Raphael Montañez Ortiz, who in the 1950s held large concerts
where he performed with an axe.
“It was world-renowned at that time. He was known for
being part of an avant-garde movement for using destruction as the
basis for art,” Noriega said.
The nine artists who will speak at the event will also be
featured in a forthcoming book devoted to Latina and Latino
artists, entitled “A Ver: Revisioning Art History.”
The event, scheduled from 4 to 6 p.m. today, will be held at
the Dorothy Collins Brown Auditorium at LACMA.