San Franciscans undoubtedly know the artistry of Yolanda M. López, even if they may not specifically know her by name. Though widely recognized as one of the best-known artists of the Chicano art movement, an overdue and in-depth focused overview of López's art has only recently been accomplished by Karen Mary Dávalos, associate professor of Chicana/o studies at Loyola Marymount University, by way of her recently-published eponymously-entitled monograph on López, the latest in the series "A VER: Revisioning Art History" by UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center Press.In this groundbreaking overview of López's life and career, Dávalos traces the artist's participation in Bay Area activism in the late 1960s and her subsequent training in conceptual practices. Dávalos explores how López's experiences informed her art, which ranges from posters to portraiture and the highly influential "Guadalupe" series to later installations. López has consistently challenged predominant modes of Latina/o representation, proposing new models of gender, racial, and cultural identity. Yolanda M. López reveals the complexity of the artist's work over time and illuminates the importance of her contributions to Chicana/o art, Chicana feminism, and conceptual art.
Come join Yolanda López in Celebration and Conversation with independent artist and cultural critic Amalia Mesa-Bains, director of the Department of Visual and Public Art. Amalia Mesa-Bains' works—primarily interpretations of traditional Chicano altars—resonate both in contemporary formal terms and in their ties to her community and history. As an author of scholarly articles and a nationally known lecturer on Latino art, she has enhanced understanding of multiculturalism and reflected major cultural and demographic shifts in the United States.
This event will take place Friday, March 27, 2009, 7:00-9:00PM in the Main Gallery of the Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts, 2868 Mission Street, San Francisco, CA 94110. Admission: $5.00. Book available for book signing after the conversation. More Info: (415) 821-1155.
