| Abstract |
According to Jean Baudrillard in L'autre par lui-même (The Other by Itself), reflections and criticisms of our society reinforce the immune system of our thinking and, throughout history, test the social systems that govern us. How have these ideas manifested in and motivated my work? Art in general, particularly contemporary art, is a form of knowledge. It often draws from social issues and is attentive to our history, engaging in a continuous critique of our behavior. This text will address the inspiration for my thesis work and my experience as an immigrant, a woman, and an inhabitant of two cultures. Who am I here? I will always remember where I come from, and I can't let go of my origins, which implies repeatedly asking myself who I am here. This is one of the constant questions present in my daily life. The following text explores what happened to me when I entered the United States, when I found another cultural system and placed my identity in it. When addressing these problems -and as Baudrillard pointed out- it is inevitable to criticize the society hosting me and see the country where I come from with different eyes. This essay allows me to observe the past two years of work from a distance and reflect on what is behind my work and the ideas and feelings that have motivated me to make my artistic production during my MFA in Studio Art at The University of Utah. I believe that it is a contemporary concern of art to be aware of what is happening now, because I think that art ultimately speaks to us about the present, about what happens in everyday life. To provoke a reflection that has a certain social utility, it is undeniable that our works directly or indirectly invite the viewer to that reflection. Here, several questions arise: Is art responsible for talking about the future? Educational systems speak to us about the past, politicians speak to us about promises for the future, and the role of artists is to speak about the present; however, it is necessary to see this trajectory and ask ourselves what will become of us as humanity. |
