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Judithe Hernandez: Life & Her Famous Artwork

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Judithe Hernandez: Life & Her Famous Artwork Judithe Hernandez: Life & Her Famous Artwork By: Marianna Garcia, Raquel Macias, Rubi Santiago, & Jasmine Rodriguez CALSCALS 273-002273--002 Who is Judithe Hernandez? ● An L.A. based artist who created pieces and murals to share inspirational perspectives as well as messages about issues related to Chicano(a)s . ● She was also one of the founders of the Chicano(a) Art/Los Angeles Mural Movements ● Many of her artworks by Judithe Hernández include female figures wearing masks, and this essentially suggests that the masks are a perfect metaphor for her art. Photo by: Todd Gray ● 1981 Involvement in Los Four Why did Judithe join Los Four? ● Met Carlos Almaraz (former founding member of Los4) in graduate school called “Otis Art Institute in 1972. Carlos Almaraz caught Judithe’s attention because of his knowledge behind painting and the art historical context of his work. ● They shared much in common including to immerse themselves in Chicanismo/ Mexicanisimo and they shared a relationship between their cultural identity and their art. 1974 ● In the late 1960’s being a minority female artist fighting to be included in Chicano art was difficult for Judithe Hernandez. The only way that women were included was if they had a romantic relationship with the artist/political men involved. ● Carlos Almaraz helped Judithe Hernandez get accepted into Los4. ● She was the fifth and only woman in the group. 1977 Judithe’s Affiliation with Asco: ● In 2017 to 2018, Judithe worked with Patssi Valdez who is a co founder of Asco, which means disgust in spanish. ● They were both female artists in the 1970’s and well known for their feminist art pieces. ● Judithe and Patssi Valdez both worked collectively on a project named One Path Two Journeys. ● This project took place in Pomona, California held by Pacific Standard Time LA/LA. ● Both had the opportunity to exhibit some of their art pieces having to do with civil disobedience and inequalities that women face in society. The Weight of Silence, 2012. Political Involvement: ● Judithe didn’t see herself as a political artist until she was involved in the Chicano movement. ● The Chicano movement changed her life which lead to her artistic ideas. ● Some of her political art perspectives involved issues that are important to the Latino communities, because Latinos are not well represented in politics, business and education. ● She has been representing issues such as exclusion, discrimination and racism for about 40 years Chupacabra Gothic, 2008. Judithe’s Involvement in Film ● Since 1978, she has worked with Norman Yonemoto on film, video, and multimedia installations. ● Yonemotos’ work focuses on notions of difference and visibility, which is mostly shown on commercial film and on television imagery. They worked on the world of the art gallery and media cliches and myths of the American culture. ● Their focus is to exploit the relationship of art and commerce. Most of their multimedia installations addressed the issues of Japanese-America identity and the relationship of their dominant corporate culture. Art Pieces: ● Several of the most moving representations are homages to the often nameless victims of the Juárez murders, or more properly, femicides (feminicidios), the killing of hundreds of women and girls along the Juárez-El Paso border, many of whom were raped or tortured, their mutilated bodies left in the desert. (Charlene Villasenor 2018) ● Her artwork inspired other artists and her artwork carries messages that she wants to tell within her colorful sets of work. ● Many of the artwork portrays women and these women have suffered through injustices in their life. “La Santa Desconocida” 2017 Pastel on paper ● “The Unknown Saint” ● Juarez Series ● Her purple body wearing an indigenous floral huipil. ● Shredded skirt symbolizing her her struggle to defend herself ● On the left, a sinister reference to the source of the violence is seen—a red “In La Santa Desconocida of 2017. Hernández presents the hand, an allusion to the horrific victim’s lifeless body as a beautiful sacrifice, honoring her strangulation suffered by this young in death.” (Charlene Villaseñor 2018) woman. La Mujer de Aztlán 1976 Mural in La Paz, CA ● Judithe Hernández and Carlos Almaraz codesign the United Farm Workers Mural at the 2nd Constitutional Convention in La Paz, California. ● In the mural, the focal point is the woman holding her cultural values, the social activism, her religion, traditions, morals, and her identity. ● The message in the mural concludes that from historical times, Mexico’s women “have always fought for ● La Mujer de Aztlán 1976. Judithe Hernandez and Carlos their family, their country, and Almaraz United Farm Workers mural (MCA 2019). their people.” Death of the Innocents 2015. Pastel on paper ● Representation of bravery within Kids who cross borders to seek asylums and live up to the American Dream ● A banner around her hand reads, “We Come but to Dream.” ● Innocent young children are seeking to relocate to the United States with their parents and even though they might not ● Death of the Innocents 2015. “A baby girl agree with moving or have any knowledge in a communion dress is shown laid out in of what is going on, many of them have deathly repose and wrapped in the colors lost their lives in doing so. of the Mexican flag” (Knight, Christopher 2018). An Abode for Jackals 2018 Pastel on paper ● Judithe’s Adam and Eve Series interpreting the actions of Adam and Eve when considering to eat the forbidden fruit. ● The male giving a mysterious need for the female’s spirit as the eel lingers around the female as her conscious. ● The image is portraying male ● An Abode for Jackals 2018. “A nude female dominance in society and how a floating on lily pads before a full moon, as women can feel trapped and not have a moray eel, rainbow-colored, swims by. the ability to express herself because Facing her, the show’s only male image of the control and privilege that turns up — a lithe fellow in royal blue cast males have. as a masked predator” (Knight, Christopher 2018). Juárez Ciudad de la muerte, 2009 Pastel on paper ● Depicting the violence acted out on the most deprived women of the border during the time ● Hernandez’s individual artistic approach reveals a very radical representation of politics, a voice of resistance against institutional silence. ● Her intention was to bring awareness to the public of how long exploitation of women or social injustices have been around in our society ● Traditional “Papel Picado” has skulls, the words ● Juárez Ciudad de la muerte, 2009 “MUJERES, FEMINICIDIOS, JUAREZ, and 500 MUERTAS” ● Barbed wire around her neck symbolizing torture Virgen de las Palomas de Paz, 2008. Pastel on paper ● From Judithe’s Luchadora Series, giving the title of luchadora for “women who are fighting discrimination and injustices females” face ● woman with a mask with scars and blood with the doves flying together around her face portraying the power of determination and empowerment within women. ● ● brings meaning to beauty and empowerment Virgen de las Palomas de Paz, 2008. to every woman. El Castigo de Eva, 2010. Pastel on paper ● Seeks to represent a different kind of “beauty” from the “normal” western civilization. ● Represents Eve, a biblical figure, in which Judithe turns her into an animal that has orange hair, horns, and a mask. ● Eve’s suffering is portrayed in this painting and it represents the violence against women who were punished. ● Her naked body is barb-wired and tied down ● El Castigo de Eva, ● Women's fragility is portrayed with her eyes 2010. being blinded and her naked body. Galleries of Series/Collections https://www.judithehernandez.co m/galleries References: 1. Black, Charlene Villaseñor. "Judithe Hernández And Patssi Valdez: One Path Two Journeys And Laura Aguilar: Show And Tell – Panorama: Journal Of The Association Of Historians Of American Art." Editions.lib.umn.edu . N. p., 2018 2. Gonzalez, Cristina. “Objects and narratives from Mexican roots artists: a Chicana experience” Sincronia. N .p., 25 April 2017. 3. Goldsmith, Aj. “Judithe Hernández Chicana Artist.” AJ's Crossing Borders, 31 Mar. 2017. 4. Hernandez, Judith E., and Patssi Valdez. “One Path Two Journeys.” Millard Sheets Art Center at Fairplex, 1 Sept. 2017. 5. “Judithe Hernandez and Patssi Valdez : One Path Two Journeys Brings Together for the First Time the Art of Two Pioneering Latina Artists who came of age During the Chicano Civil Rights Movement in 1970s Los Angeles.” The Millard Art Sheet Center. 2017. 6. "Judithe Hernandez “ Homenaje A Las Mujeres De Aztlan”." Elisabeth Pulido . N. p., 2016. 7. "Judithe Hernández." MCA. N. p., 27 January 2019. 8. "Judithe Hernandez." Otis College of Art and Design. N. p., 2020. References Continued 8. Knight, Christopher. "Review: The Ghosts Of Mexico's Missing Women Animate Judithe Hernández’S Brooding Debut At The Museum Of Latin American Art." Los Angeles Times. N. p., 18 September 2018. 9. "Spotlight: Judithe Hernandez." Labloga.blogspot.com. N. p., 2019. 10. The Jewish Mexican Literacy Review. "Chicana: A Conversation With Judithe Hernández – The Jewish Mexican Literary Review." Thejmlr.com. N. p., 2018. 11. “The True and Accurate Account of How Judithe Hernandez Came to Meet and Become a Member of LOS 4 or Isn't Twenty-five years of Hindsight Wonderful” Repository.library.csuci.edu. N. p., 9 January 1997. .
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