Hammer Museum
10899 Wilshire Blvd.
Los Angeles, California
John Malveaux with La Malinche sculpture
John Malveaux of
writes:
Feb 28, 2017 Hammer Museum - sculptor Jimmie Durham
La
Malinche was a Mexican woman who played an important role in the
Spanish conquest of her country. Like Pocahontas in the U.S., Malinche
was an indian who got married to the colonizer. She was one of the
slaves of Cortez and later his interpreter and mistress; their son was
considered the first “mestizo”. This sculpture of La Malinche was
assembled using a combination of elements: on the one hand, those
typically associated to
an “Indian” identity, and on the other hand “Western” elements like her
panties and bra. These opposite poles function as parodies of
stereotypes and a metaphor of Malinche’s ambiguous character.
“It’s
a true historical fact, about Cortez, the Spanish conquistador, and
Malinche, the Indian woman” - says Jimmie Durham. “But it’s also such a
story that it becomes myth as soon as it’s there. The mythical part that
is important for us, for me is about what sort of self we have and what
sort of other is the other.”
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