Cultural Formation of Place: Making Yourself at Home

The environment you grow up in can become a pivotal part of your existence. The sights, smells, people, and places you experience every day can transform the way you see the world. Growing up in a Mexican-American household has brought its own set of experiences that have made me the artist I am today. I am one of many contemporary artists building on the foundations of their heritage and the Chicano movement. I am also a Mexican-American artist expanding the identity and extending the legacy in the 21st century. This paper will investigate how Mexican-American heritage has influenced my artistic practice work and how this heritage has influenced contemporary artists\u27 work. I will then discuss how my photographs, sculptures, and installations are in dialogue with my Mexican-American heritage and reference Chicano practices in terms of my materials, subject matter, and visual storytelling. Chicano practices and my own personal heritage influence my artmaking as well as how I create a home for myself, my family, y familia