Mur Murs: Murals, Chicanas, and the Female Gaze
An exploration of Chicana murals throughout the Los Angeles region as seen by women.
Overview
This exhibit aims to uncover the hidden stories behind the murals created by Chicana artists in the Los Angeles region throughout the 20th century. Often overlooked and underappreciated in comparison to their male counterparts, Chicana muralists challenged machismo by infusing Chicana feminist praxis into their murals—reclaiming a “male” art form into one distinctly their own.
Judy Baca
With the creation of Mi Abuelita in 1971, Baca became the first Chicana artist to create a mural. In 1974, Baca established the Los Angeles Citywide Mural Program to encourage community building and to support youth from gang-afflicted areas. The idea behind this project was to break down divisions between people and foster unity through a reclamation of the public space—an endeavor Baca has dedicated her entire career towards.The censorship she encountered by City of Los Angeles personnel in this organization, led her to form the Social and Public Art Resource Center (SPARC) in 1978, alongside painter Christina Schlesinger and filmmaker Donna Deitch. The goal of SPARC is to ensure the preservation and production of public art in Los Angeles as a method of empowering communities and spurring transformation.
Mi Abuelita (1971) by Judith Baca (muralist) and Nancy Van Lauderback Tovar (photographer)UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center
Inspired by her grandmother and her experience growing up in a matriarchal family, this piece marks the early beginnings of Baca's interest in Chicanx indigeneity and female empowerment.
"Arte por Judy Baca y 'Las Vistas Nuevas' c/s 'Mi Abuelita'"
Translation: "Art by Judy Baca and 'The New Vistas' c/s 'My Granny'"
c/s refers to "con safos" a Chicanx phrase translated as "with safety" and which serves as a copyright symbol amongst Chicanx artists.
The Great Wall of Los Angeles (1976/1983) by Judith Baca (muralist) and Robin J. Dunitz (photographer)UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center
The first mural created by SPARC was led by Baca and is titled, the Great Wall of Los Angeles (1978). It is one of the longest murals in the world and features a revised history of Los Angeles, emphasizing interracial harmony.
The Great Wall of Los Angeles (1976/1983) by Judith Baca (muralist) and Robin J. Dunitz (photographer)UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center
For this mural, Baca hired youth as part of recidivism reduction efforts and actively sought to involve women in mural making and leadership roles.
The Great Wall of Los Angeles (1976/1983) by Judy Baca (muralist) and Robin J. Dunitz (photographer)UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center
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The Great Wall of Los Angeles (1978) by Judith Baca.
Recuerdos de Ayer, Sueños de Mañana (1982) by Judithe Hernández (muralist) and Robin J. Dunitz (photographer)UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center
Judithe Hernández
Considered to be a founding member of the Chicano Art Movement, Hernández first began her career as a member of the art collective “Los Four”. She was the last member to join and only woman of the group. Her work is recognized for examining the social-political tensions of gender roles and incorporating indigenous imagery. Hernández is most known for her mural Homenaje a las mujeres de Aztlán (Homage to the Women of Aztlán) (1976), which was created as part of a larger effort to beautify the Ramona Gardens public housing development in Boyle Heights. The mural is dedicated to the women of Aztlán, mythical homeland of Chicanxs.
This mural features "La Reina de Los Ángeles" (the Queen of the Angels), patroness of the city. Hernández is known for her depictions of feminine strength.
Homenaje a las mujeres de Aztlán (Homage to the women of Aztlán) (1976) by Judithe Hernández (muralist) and Robin J. Dunitz (photographer)UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center
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Homenaje a las mujeres de Aztlán (Homage to the Women of Aztlán) (1976) by Judithe Hernández. Restored in 2016 by the Mural Conservancy of Los Angeles.
L.A. History: A Mexican Perspective (1981) by Barbara Carrasco (muralist) and Sean Meredith (photographer)UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center
Barbara Carrasco
In L.A. History: A Mexican Perspective (1981), Carrasco illustrates the history of Los Angeles through a series of vignettes depicting the experiences of marginalized groups—shown interwoven into a woman’s hair. The mural was commissioned by the now defunct Los Angeles Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) for the city’s bicentennial celebration in 1981 and with plans to be shown during the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. It was designed to be portable and would have been mounted on the side of a McDonald’s in downtown Los Angeles. Its subject matter soon proved to be too controversial for the CRA. After Carrasco refused to remove fourteen scenes, the CRA stopped plans for it to be publicly shown. Their attempts to censor the mural culminated in a failed lengthy legal battle over copyright. The mural remained in storage for decades and with limited viewing.
In 2020, the mural was acquired by the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County for permanent display, fulfilling Carrasco’s wishes and providing both the artist and mural the recognition they deserve.
Yreina Cervantez
Before creating her own murals, Cervantez participated in various mural projects throughout the L.A. region. She helped design and paint sections of the Great Wall of Los Angeles (1978) alongside Judy Baca, and assisted Barbara Carrasco with the painting of L.A. History: A Mexican Perspective (1981). Cervantez is most known for her mural La Ofrenda (1989), which was funded by SPARC. The title of this mural translates to “offering” and is a reference to the altars created in remembrance of an individual. This piece honors Dolores Huerta, co-founder of the United Farmworkers Union, and serves as a symbol of solidarity between the Chicano and Central American communities.
La Ofrenda (1989) by Yreina Cervantez (muralist) and Robin J. Dunitz (photographer)UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center
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La Ofrenda (1989) by Yreina Cervantez. Restored in 2016 by SPARC.
Contemporary Artists
The work of Baca, Hernández, Carrasco, and Cervantez helped pave the way for the emergence of contemporary Chicana muralists such as Kristy Sandoval. Her artwork draws attention to social justice issues, with a particular emphasis on female empowerment. As a co-founder of the all-womyn and womyn-identified muralist collective HOODsisters (Honoring our Origins, Ourselves and our Dreams), Sandoval has spent the past decade creating murals and bringing art education to underserved communities. Muralists such as Sandoval, represent a new intersectional mode of envisioning mural making.
Curator:
Grace Muñoz, CSRC 2020-2021 Graduate Student Researcher
Acknowledgments:
-Barbara Carrasco, artist
-Robin Dunitz, photographer
-Professor Karen Mary Davalos, University of Minnesota Department of Chicano and Latino Studies, oral history interviewer
-Xaviera Flores, CSRC Librarian and Archivist
-Professor Anne Gilliland, UCLA Department of Information Studies
-LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes
Made possible through the UCLA Department of Information Studies Digital Resource Initiative. The resolution of images acquired for this exhibit are limited by copyright.
Sources:
-UCLA Digital Library. Nancy Tovar Los Angeles Mural Slides Collection
-USC Digital Library. Robin Dunitz Slides of Los Angeles Murals Collection
-CSRC L.A. Xicano Oral Histories
-Curtis, E. M., Hough, J., & Latorre, G. (2017). ¡Murales Rebeldes!. Los Angeles: Angel City Press
-Indych-López, A. (2018). Judith F. Baca. Los Angeles: UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center.
-See also: Culture Fix: Judithe Hernandez on the Role of Women in the Chicano Art Movement
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