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Show Ruby Chacon on her art by Ruby Chacon More than a thousand years ago, I had ancestors that came through southern Utah and scribbled their tales on the red rock walls. It was their way of saying this is who we are, this is how we live, and this is what we fear. They left their stories for others to see, but more importantly, for themselves to see. After the Mexican American war, a significant change took place in my family. Other people began to tell our story as a part of the American experience. The problem was that they saw us less beautiful, less honorable, and less dignified than we saw our- month or two until they got on THE SAN JUAN RECORD Wednesday, April 10, 2002 - Page 9 their feet. She was foreign to Although he was speaking to many in our neighborhood, zling. Los Tigres del Norte or and that made us foreign. Yolanda del Rios ranchera my son, Orion, it dawned on I realize that our roots are music blared throughout our me that those pictures I drew more deeply planted in this house. In our basement and as a child were the pictures of ground than any pilgrim or back room, my sister or the way I saw myself, as La pioneer, but our stories are less brother would be blasting the Loquita from Lowrider magaoften told in the curriculum of sounds of Marvin Gaye or zine. schools and when they are, Dianna Ross. Everything Although these are real blended in racket and the people and part of our culture, they are tainted. I filled As stare at the walls smells would reach my aching it is not the only part. The with paintings of my family, I stomach as I waited for break- people that were left out were am reminded of myself and fast or lunch or dinner. the poets, artists, doctors, lawsitI who I I who am. am the person Meanwhile, would be yers, dancers, musicians, the rocks. on heroes. a the at the table, drawing painted ting I sit here and think of my life or La Loquita who Today I see more clearly. I as an artist, where it started, was always on shirts of people paint my mother, my grandfawhere I am today. I remember in Lowrider magazine. I was ther, and myself through a new vision, a vision that is in conmy mother always in the home. kitchen, rolling out tortillas Today, I sit in front of my stant transformation. Any artwith the sound of manteca siz- - computer with the soft volume ist or writer knows that when of John Lee Hooker playing. I you are creating something, can still hear the electricity you discover new things by the buzzing in my computer, and minute and your research a neighbor with their band saw never ends. at a distance. The smell of cofMaybe we put it all together in fee lingers throughout my order for it to make sense apartment. I am in silence, in our minds, but we are almilestones away from those ways moving on to a new time old times. I know that even and space that changes our vithough my environment has sion and creates other possichanged, my spirit for creating bilities. I am relieved to get to be the one that tells my story, has not. One day, after my husband and not someone else who only told an elaborate and magical has a small idea of who I am. I am always amazed when story to my son, he then turned to him and said, Come to me people ask me to strip my work when youre 25 and well drink of its ethnicity, as if doing so a cup of coffee together while would make it more valid. you explain to me that you These people would never take have now figured out why all away flags from Jasper Johns, stories are true and all stories or take the American diner are false. away from Edward Hopper. I paint what inspires me, what I see, what I feel, that is all. The fact that it is deeply touched by my Mexican roots only suggests that I am deeply touched by my Mexican roots. I am an artist who paints her Mexican family, the people around her, and the experiences that come with that. Through these paintings I say this is who we are, this is how we lived, and this is what we fear. I am the person who paints our stories on the red Ib-da- y, selves. As a child I committed the greatest sin a child could commit, I believed these stories. It wasnt until five years ago when my nephew died and I fully questioned the depth at which the wrong story had penetrated my life and my familys life. Why didnt I allow myself to be proud of my mother who would wake at five in the morning in order to clean for others who had no respect for her at all? Later, she would come home and cook for six small children and anyone else who needed a place to sleep and eat for a low-rid- . er rock. Ruby is the granddaughter of Cosme Chacon. MARKS HIGH PRESSURE UNDERGROUND NATURAL GAS LINES OF QUESTAR GAS COMPANY. IT State law requires that if you are doing any excavating, seismic work, road grading, building or other construction, you must notify the appropriate company two working days prior to commencing your project. Ouestar Gas Company representative will come locate and mark its existing underground pipelines for you at no charge. Guestar Gas is A CALL BEFORE YOU DIG. 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