Final Project

• What is the subject of your image?

The subject of my final project has to do with the female role, specifically in Latin women. A look into the stereotypes of Latina women.

• What is the content of your image?

The content of my image consists of pictures taken from my phone of myself and some friends of mine. All the women in this photo are of Latina decent.

• Why did you make the choices that led to the composition?

My grandmother told me recently on a visit to her house, "we need to find you a man Cristina. You're 21 and you are not even dating someone. You're going to become undesirable soon to men". After she told me this I began to realize she saw my role in life and society as a reproductive machine that was made to care for the house while the man goes out to work. I haven't dated since I broke up with my ex-fiancee in my senior year of high school, so that has been a problem to her. But, I have also noticed that it has become a problem to Latinas, that we aren't look at as the powerful women in our culture, even after all this time.

• What do you think this image conveys to the viewers?

I'm hoping this image conveys to the viewers the different stereotypes of Latin women, but to also show the strength and possibility of defying those stereotypes given. 

• What artists have influenced your self portrait?

Adrian Piper influenced this piece afterI went to the MoMA to see her Self-Portrait Exaggerating My Negroid Features exhibition and how she had a black man defying the stereotypes of his race. 

• What techniques have you used to create your self portrait?

I used a form of a collage and black and white imaging to give the photos a more drastic feel to go along with the message behind the entire piece. 

• What are the differences between the first self-portrait and your last self-portrait?

The difference from my first self-portrait dealt more with my own personal struggles and demons, ut how my faith in Jesus is helping to heal it and cope with a lot of my mental struggles. This self-portrait deals more with the stereotypes and traditions of my culture. Each photo represents a big F-U to the stereotypes and that I am going to follow my heart and gut. 

• Why and how does this project represent you?

This project represents me because I am a 21 year old, single, Latina who is looking to further her education. My family always talks about when I meet a man and have children with him, how wonderful of a mother I'm going to be because of how well I love and care for my niece and nephew, but they never say how great it will be when I graduate with my PhD like I plan to do, or how wonderful it will be when I lead in worship at a big conference for our church, or even how wonderful it will be when I begin my own practice. I wanted this photo series to express how empowered women can be with the right kind of motivation and how we can raise up women, like myself, to go against the traditional values of being the "perfect stay at home mother" but to show her much passion she has inside of her. 

• What influenced these changes?

When my grandmother still looked at me as a reproductive machine, I saw that there was a problem for me, and other girls who are like me, that is bigger than overcoming obstacles of personal struggles, but overcoming the obstacle of societies placed roles on Hispanic women like me.