Weaving Mestiza Geographies: An A/r/tographic Allegory on Cultural Identity Through the Lens of Vernacular Textile Traditions Verónica Sahagún Sánchez A Thesis In the Department of Art Education Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements For the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Art Education) at Concordia University March 2015 ©Verónica Sahagún Sánchez Abstract Weaving Mestiza Geographies: An A/r/tographic Allegory on Cultural Identity Through the Lens of Vernacular Textile Traditions Verónica Sahagún Sánchez Concordia University, 2015 In Weaving Mestiza Geographies, I use Mexican vernacular textile traditions as the foundation for a self-study focused on my cultural identity. This project departs from my creative pratice and asks: In what ways may the aesthetics of Mexican vernacular textile traditions influence my art making and my teaching as a visual artist trained within Western educational contexts? At a theoretical level, I draw on aspects of feminist epistemologies and geographies, and Mexican history as well as postcolonial theory. I work with a/r/tography, a research methodology that weaves the practices of the artist/researcher/teacher together through a complementary dialogue between image (art) and text (writing). Based on the idea of allegory as a practice that uses symbols to reveal hidden meanings, combining visual and text-based symbols allows me to develop a decolonizing praxis consisting of (un)hiding the Indigenous legacies that form my mestiza (or mixed) identity. Weaving Mestiza Geographies also addresses issues that relate to contemporary craft theory and practice. I approach the craft object as an embodiment of local, communal, familial, and cultural histories as well as of personal memories. In other words, vernacular textiles become gateways for me to review my relationship to people and places in Central México. In the studio, I reflect on the implications of merging practices of the handmade (weaving, stitching, collaging, assembling) with digital media (photography, digital imaging, printing, and stop motion animation). The knowledge gained when fusing these two ways of working supports the design iii of three pedagogical strategies (life crafting, digital-craft, and subversive cartography); these are conceived as third spaces in which groups, that may have experienced some form of marginalization can access educational experiences that are reflective of their cultural backgrounds and personal histories. Future paths of inquiry will involve participatory art and a/r/tographic action research methodologies with applications in community art and social research that address the identity and body politics framing textile making and other craft practices within the contemporary global economy. iv With my work, I want to pay a personal homage to the lives of the 43 Mexican rural teacher-students from Ayotzinapa, Guerrero who went missing in September 2014. May their efforts not be forgotten by Mexican people. May the memory of this heart-breaking event prompt all Mexican citizens to build a more fair society. I also want to dedicate my work to all the women in my family, including those who are gone and the ones to come. May the latter continue to be courageous. Particularly, I want to dedicate this thesis to my Mother and to Aunt Marielena who have showed me through their own life experiences to never give up my dreams. Aunt Marielena passed away on August 11, 2013 in Mexico City without me being able to say goodbye. Tía Querida, este sueño se ha cumplido. v ACKNOWLDGEMENTS Personal Acknowledgements First, I want to dedicate a few words for my family. I want express my gratitude to my parents for their unconditional support. I want to give a special thank you to my mother for being with me while I underwent heart surgery in Montréal and for later on keeping me company during long hours of writing in the Canadian winter. I am aware that -25 degrees represents a tremendous physical challenge for a Mexican woman. I want to thank my father for sharing his life memories and enthusiastically forwarding information that he thought could help with my research. To my brother, Daniel and my sister Alejandra, I want to say thanks for reminding me to always seek my own happiness. I love you both. Familia, ústedes fueron mí motor. Los quiero con todo mi corazón. I want to thank my mentors Dr. Anita Sinner and Dr. Linda Szabad-Smyth for their dedicated and passionate input to my research. I will never forget Dr. Sinner’s belief in me as she held my hand at a moment when everything was against me. She helped me to see my self-worth and get back in the fight for my degree. She also never quit prompting me to push my own boundaries. Most importantly, she reminded me to love what I was doing. Dr. Szabad-Smyth’s experienced guidance helped me to see unexpected and beautiful connections between my life and my research. I am grateful to have had her as mentor because her compassionate attitude has reminded me that there is a bigger purpose behind my search: seeking good for Others and not only for me. I also want to express my gratitude to Dr. Pauline Sameshima for her generous and empathic input to my research. I feel honoured to have her in my supervisory committee. Now, I want to acknowledge the contribution of other professionals and members of the Concordia community whose support was crucial for the writing of this thesis. To my editors vi Stephanie Watt and Wynnpaul Varela, my heartfelt graditude. With their help, I accomplished the challenge of creating the best script that I have ever written in a language that is not native to me. A big thank you goes to Melinda Reinhart, for her kind and consistent support throughout numerous publication searches. To Jenny Calder from the International Students office, thank you for being there for me in the most difficult moments. All my love and gratitude also goes to close friends without whose emotional support I would not have been able to conclude this project. To April Mandrona, who never stopped caring, listening, and supporting throughout the writing of the thesis. More thanks go to my great friends Nuria Carton de Grammot, Alsi Vázquez, Rosalinda Mendez, Heidy Maraliz, Lina Conde, Annie Cusson, Aurelia Dagan, Sunitha Chari, Lorena Carvelli, and Ana Cremades who also listened to me and supported me in moments of great distress. To my good friend Daniel Vergara, I want to say thank you for your steady and enthusiastic support. Institutional Acknowledgements I want to express my most sincere gratitude to Concordia University for the multiple awards that were given to me, amongst them the Frederick Lowy Fellowship, the Anne Savage Memorial, and the Accelerator Award. I also want to acknowledge the financial support offered by the Ministere de l'Education, du Loisir et du Sport (Bourse de doctorat Québec-Mexique); Fonds de recherché sur la société et la culture (Bourse de doctorat en recherche pour étudiants étrangers); and in México to the Colección/Fundación Jumex. I want to thank the four institutions for showing confidence in my professional and academic merits, and, most importantly, for making my dreams become a reality. In return, I now take on the commitment of supporting other students to achieve their goals. vii TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF FIGURES ...................................................................................................................... x PRELUDE: A Short Story of My Life as an Entry Point to This Research Project .............. 1 My Educational Journey With/in North American Territories ..................................................... 4 Rooting My Research in Mexican Vernacular Textile Traditions ............................................... 7 CHAPTER 1: Embracing A/r/tography in Research Centred on Cultural Identity ............ 12 Transitioning Into Professional Hybridity .............................................................................. 13 The Mapping of My Cultural Difference and of My Hybridity ............................................... 18 Identifying Myself as a Mestiza A/r/tographer Within a Transnational Context .................... 21 Using Vernacular Textile Traditions as Lens: The Meaning of Weaving in This Inquiry ........................................................................................................... 23 Weaving an A/r/tographic Allegory on Cultural Identity ........................................................ 25 The textual component: Adding layers of meaning through personal narratives and semiotics ...................................................................................................... 26 The visual component: Locating my art within Latin American allegorical practices ....... 27 Reading Renderings: A Guide for Interpreting This A/r/tographic Allegory .......................... 29 From Mestizaje to Métissage: Autobiographical Educational (Re)Search .............................. 34 CHAPTER 2: Exploring the Interstices of Hybridity ............................................................ 39 The Colonial Period: Métissage as Genesis ............................................................................. 42 Mexican Mestizophilia—From Modernity to Globalization ................................................... 44 Mexican Arts and Crafts as Embodiments of Mexican Mestizaje .................................... 47 Centring on textile-based practices ................................................................................... 52 Vernacular