Our Debut: Works In Response To The Quinceanera

Our Chicana Collective has the honor of inviting you and your distinguished family to

OUR DEBUT:

Works In Response To The Quinceanera

December 19th 2009

716 E Euclid

6:00 - 9:00 pm

soundscape. drawing. fotography. painting. video

byob

We are Ruth Buentello, Sarah Castillo, Kristin Gamez, Mari Hernandez, y Christina Ordonez. The works we are producing for our first show are focused on a theme, The Quinceanera. The space will include soundscape, fotography, paintings, drawings, and a video/installation piece. We are proud to present ourselves as Chicanas from San Anto. We are aware of the strong community of women within our city, and this is how we, together, show our support. Viva La Chicana.

C/S

Singing Shirts.

We are serious like silicone.

Disclaimer: It seems as if looks are prized more than humor. The biggest mistake is to not laugh at yourself, to take yourself so seriously that the mere thought of seeing yourself as a form of humorous entertainment stiffens your back, while you flip your hair, adjust your cleavage, admire your bedazzled fake nails, and present yourself as some sort of being demanding seriousness through your facade of fake adornment. seriously?

La Chicana Colectiva:

DEBUT

(as serious as silicone)

Come meet us December 19th.

Evenings out.

I imagine you once adorned for a special occasion. People may have watched you from a distance. You may have once made someone feel beautiful, as if she was floating through light above it all. You caught eyes, in an atmosphere of clutter. And you will always be revered and lifted in someone's thoughts.

A new member to La Colectiva.

And now we are cinco. The organic intellect, the artist of all artists, who brings people and community together because she sees special things. Come visit her painted, immortalized on a mural en la Wesside. In a previous life lead singer to badass Chicano punk band Mal Hecho, La Dama, Cristina.

(circa 04')

Mi Colectiva.

This is us (minus one new member). We have an organic flow that will unfold over time. We are a Chicana Colectiva, we are working through processes naturally, without rush. We have tiempo, because this is just the beginning. We have backgrounds in filmmaking, painting, muralismo, drawing, photography, and the art of community, plus much more. We have names, titles, statements, floating all around us, and they will gradually fall into place. We present ourselves as a whole, and we respect each other as individuals. We are creating our history, and we are squashing ideals, misconceptions, and static thoughts that attempt to define and confine us. December 19th is our first show.

Hermosa.

It's the small things.

The only time I really stress is when I think about my student loans, and other monetary issues. It makes everything around me messy, undoable, undesirable. It puts your down, yells obsenities in your face, and deserts when you need a hand the most. I truly believe without that weight we would be a healthier society. So I take comfort in the little things:

My Quinceanera..

(Sometimes it's better to live through recorded moments, and remind yourself that the here and now is never permanent. That tomorrow can be better, brighter, and that our balance of existence flows unevenly. And according to what I have been taught, when things reach one extreme they eventually turn into their opposite. Excuse me while I relish, and ignore the clouds at hand.)

I once entertained the thought of throwing salon parties, where everyone invited had to participate creatively. It seemed the perfect way to get to know the women in my community, to see what they were doing, how we could support each other, and what inspiration came of it.

After I had my first show, some friends recommend that I (along with some other females) have a group show. It struck a cord, it reminded me of what I had wanted to do before. I think my affirmation was made through questions. Why don't we have a space of our own? How come there are no Chicana shows in San Anto? Why haven't all of the creative women I know come together to create a space absolutely for themselves? Why aren't the faces of the brown women of my community recognized more often the way they should be?

I have been a part of a few all female organizations, groups, and gatherings, and have learned a thing or two (valuable lessons).

December 19th will be the first show featuring works by 4 Chicanas of my new collective. I say "my" in terms of ours. We are all owners of this collective. We have been coming together, emailing, conversing, and creating something long over due, that reflect us as a new generation of Chicanas. I couldn't be prouder of what's happening, I can't wait to see what unfolds, and what the future holds for us. We are here as women of color, born and raised in San Anto, with culture values that ground us and bring us together, to support and inspire each other. We would like to assist in representing the strong, smart, and creative women of San Anto, because if we don't do it for ourselves, it probably won't get done. The three other women that I am working with are some cool ladies, they are great company, and they are the sort of creative inspiration that I have been searching to surround myself with.

This past week we took some photos that will be a part of our repertoire.

Our first show has a theme, and works will be produced by Ruth Buentello, Sarah Castillo, Kristin Gamez, and Mari Hernandez, in response to: The Quinceanera...

More details to come, I hope to see you December 19th.

(outtake)

Yo!

Sup'

Public Creativity.

I suggest you take responsibility in creating an environment reflective of yourself, for all to enjoy.

PUBLIC PETS! a series.

She says: Hello, Friends. I am here to protect and serve you.

A slight alteration.

I found some colored plastic in a box of stuuuuuff. They're exactly like colored gels! I added a strip to one of the cameras I made. I also placed it in front of the lens of my digital camera. Check it:

Chido!

For this camera I layered the inside of the box with little mirrors. I am hoping that the light will reflect, and bounce, and do all kinds of crazy stuff when it enters, and produce some cool results. I am slow to use it, because I love the look of it, and in the end dismantling it chips at me little. You know how some musicians destroy their instruments at the end of an epic show, to create a moment in time that can never be touched again. Well..... I don't exactly feel like that about tearing apart the camera once I have used up the role of film, if it weren't so damn good looking.... I am working at a way of being able to remove the back and the film without affecting the "camera body." With each camera I make, I incorporate new ideas. For this one I added the mirrors, and also used the plastic containers film comes in as holding cases for the film. This helps in reducing the amount of tape I have to use in order to block out light leaks.