Missing Bodies, Invocation, and Amalia Mesa-Bains’s Altar-Installations.

The article focuses on the altar installations of artist Amalia Mesa-Bains, which explore themes of absence and the invocation of missing bodies through various artistic forms. Her works, particularly the "Venus Envy" series, reflect on personal and collective histories, addressing the erasure of wo...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Aztlan: Journal of Chicano Studies Vol. 50; no. 1; pp. 115 - 134
Main Author: Pérez, Laura E.
Format: Article
Published: Chicano Studies Research Center Spring2025
Subjects:
Online Access:View this record in EBSCOhost
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        10.1525/azt.2025.50.1.115
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        atl: Missing Bodies, Invocation, and Amalia Mesa-Bains’s Altar-Installations.
      aug:
        au: Pérez, Laura E.
        affil:
          Professor of Chicanx Latinx studies and ethnic studies and chair of the Latinx Research Center at the University of California, Berkeley.
          PhD at Harvard University.
          BA/MA joint degree at the University of Chicago.
      su:
        Africans
        Torture
        Envy
        Themes in art
        Installation art
        Mexican Americans
        Art theory
        Figurines
        Academic dissertations
      sug:
        subj:
          Africans
          Torture
          Envy
          Themes in art
          Installation art
          Mexican Americans
          Art theory
          Figurines
          Academic dissertations
      ab: The article focuses on the altar installations of artist Amalia Mesa-Bains, which explore themes of absence and the invocation of missing bodies through various artistic forms. Her works, particularly the "Venus Envy" series, reflect on personal and collective histories, addressing the erasure of women, especially those of Indigenous and African descent, from dominant cultural narratives. Mesa-Bains employs mirrors and reflective objects to invite viewers into a dialogue about identity and ancestry, while also critiquing colonialism and patriarchy. The installations serve as a means of healing and remembrance, emphasizing the interconnectedness of past and present through the lens of Chicana feminism.
      pubtype: Academic Journal
      doctype: Article
      src: R
    language: English
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