July 14, 2001
Subject: support
Date: Sat, 14 Jul 2001 05:21:50
From: "alessandra moctezuma" <aztecprincess@hotmail.com>
To: almalopez@earthlink.net
Dear Alma,
I heard about the controversy over your beautiful
piece from Richard Lou in San Diego at the beginning of May. I was travelling
in New Zealand after that and it wasn't until today that I had a chance to
look at your piece and read about the controversy.
I find the controversy both absurd and believable.
After working with the many different communities in public art issues I've
learned that there's always a chance for someone to be offended, specially
when you are dealing with religious images. Look at the scandal at Brooklyn,
and I must say that that painting was ugly!!! I would actually have been more
offended by that.
I see your piece as a wonderful homage to all
the beautiful, powerful, self-sufficient Mexicana mothers. (I also so my mother
as a gorgeous and very strong woman). I must admit that I never grew up in
a very religious or Catholic household, but the Virgen de Guadalupe was the
one image that I respected because it embodied the love and protection of
a mother for her children. Of course men can be very threatened by this: first,
women hold the power of procreation and are generally the pillars of the family,
but now women are also independent and able to choose the type of life that
they want. By appropriating both the Virgen de Guadalupe and the traditional
pin-up image you give back the power to women that had been taken away by
the Catholic church and patriarchal society.
What's tragic is that men have been silencing
women for eons in machista societies. We can't let people silence us anymore.
I wanted to let you know that I support you and that if there is still time
to send letters to the Museum or to be involved in any other way, aqui estoy.
I just got a job teaching at San Diego Mesa
College and will be there beginning August 6. (I'm currently spending the
summer in Hawaii) I hope that we can get together at some point (I never picked
up the print I bought from you).
Love,
Alessandra