The Centro de Artes Gallery in San Antonio showcases Latino artists and tells the story of the Latino experience through its exhibitions. It displays works from both smaller and well-known artists. The artwork "Origin" by Elizabeth Jiménez Montelongo is an oil painting on canvas of a Mexika dancer from her series "Euphoric Dance of the Unconquered Mind". Montelongo draws inspiration from her experience as an indigenous Chicana Mexican woman. The vibrant colors and textured style of the painting aim to capture the traditional costumes and spirit of Mexican folk dancing.

1. B Y : D A N I E L A E S P I N O S A
EVENT
PRESENTATION-
HUMA 1305

2. C E N T R O D E A R T E S G A L L E RY
The Centro de Artes Gallery is in San Antonio, Tx. Its location is in the heart of
the zona cultural that is very well known in the Historic Market Square. It
showcases Latino artists and dedicates itself to telling the story of the Latino
experience. The gallery is constantly being updated with installations having
about a 6-month life span. Centro de Artes displays works of smaller and well-
known artists alike. The exhibits have been featured in Texas Monthly and
Forbes. Centro de Artes Gallery is free to visit.

3. E L I Z A B E T H J I M É N E Z M O N T E L O N G O
The piece of artwork I decided to discuss is called the ”Origin” which was
created by artist Elizabeth Jiménez Montelongo. She is a poet and visual artist
with a BFA in Pictorial Art from San Jose State University. Her works have
been displayed in countless galleries in the United States. Montelongos art is
largely influenced by everything that is Mexican culture. Elizabeth is a
member of the board of directors of Poetry Center San Jose. She also hosts
cultura poetry nights. It is clear she is a powerhouse and draws inspiration
from her experience as an indigenous Chicana Mexican woman.

4. T H E O R I G I N D E S C R I P T I O N
The Origin is an oil painting set on a 30 x 40-inch canvas.
The painting is a part of a series of works called The
Euphoric Dance of the Unconquered Mind. They are
textured paintings of Mexika dancers. To create these
paintings, Montelongo used photos she took of these
dancers and painted them. For the textured look she applied
the paint with a palette knife. She has prints of her paintings
available on her website.

5. E U P H O R I C D A N C E O F T H E
U N C O N Q U E R E D M I N D
Elizabeth draws heavily from her experience as an
Indigenous Chicana Mexican woman. She first saw
Mexika dancers when she moved to Petaluma,
California. She herself has participated in some of the
Mexica dance ceremonies. In 2010 is when she began
painting these dancers in a series of oil paintings.

6. A N A LY S I S O F T H E O R I G I N
Mexican art is considered some of the most vibrant in the world. I feel it is
impossible to have a rich culture such as ours and not produce art that is as
colorful and full of life as what we are analyzing. Immediately what stands out
to me is the strength of the individual that is standing. The artist has captured
all of the color that the dancers wear for performances on canvas. The
painting being textured works well since the Mexika dancers wear a number of
different feathers, fabrics, and beads for the dances.

7. A N A LY S I S O F T H E O R I G I N
In the painting, I am seeing what looks like a fire under the dancers feet. To
me this would represent the strong passion that is put into these traditional
dances. I can also made out the detailing of the dancers chest covering and
lower half. The dancer pictured also has a feathered head piece. In the whole
series of works the artist created, there is not one canvas that does not have
color on every inch. In making the piece textured the artist has succeeded in
capturing the unique traditional costumes of the Mexika dancers.

8. A N A LY S I S O F T H E O R I G I N
Aside from the fire being placed in the center of the painting, there also
appears to be a battle of blue and red-orange in the background. Typically in
art blue represents serenity and calmness while red represents passion and
excitement. I believe the contrast of these two being in the paintings highlights
the artists feelings about the piece. The serene feeling of looking on and being
close to your culture and also feeling the intense passion and pride of all the
history that came along with it.

9. A N A LY S I S O F T H E O R I G I N
Mexican art is also inspired by the history of Aztecs and
Maya tribes. For Maya, their “link and communion with god”
formed the basis for their color symbolism. For these tribes
each color had a meaning. For example, in the lowlands of
Maya there was a color created called Maya Blue. Maya
blue was painted on to the individual being used for human
sacrifice. A huge natural resource in Mexico is clay. There
are also an abundance of minerals, insects and plants. All of
these are used to create brilliant colors that, back in the day,
were as valuable as gold.

10. A N A LY S I S O F T H E O R I G I N
While the textured effect of the painting adds a lot of detail, it also serves to
capture a very wild indigenous feeling. The name of the series is A Euphoric
Dance of the Unconquered Mind, which leads me to believe this was the
artists intention. So much of the original elements in Mexican Folk dance have
been lost due to colonization and Catholic evangelization. Montelongo
captures the spirit of the Mexican culture with the wild colors and thick strokes
of paint. The painting is a clear display that the dances have thrived and
survived despite modernization.

11. A N A LY S I S O F T H E O R I G I N
The vibrancy and life that is captured in the painting almost feels like a taunt
to colonization and everything it tried to erase. The artist is proud of her roots
and I feel her paintings are a direct reflection of that pride. I believe she chose
to do a textured piece not only to really capture the costumes but also to
evoke depth. It is important to note that she stuck to painting a very traditional
version of a Mexican folk dancer. This is shown with the display of the fire,
which Mexika dancers do use, and the dancer appears to be mid way through
a move.

12. I N T E R P R E TAT I O N O F T H E O R I G I N
For me the painting evokes almost a sense of
sadness. If our ancestors were not so strong in
the face of adversity, we may have lost
everything that made our culture so gorgeous
and unique. I also feel pride in how that same
warmth and color still resonates among our
culture today.

13. I N T E R P R E TAT I O N O F T H E O R I G I N
The painting does remind me of one experience in particular. Late 2021 I
was fortunate enough to attend my cousins wedding in Guadalajara,
Mexico. During the many days of festivities, I was able to visit
Tlaquepaque and Tequila. Tequila is an amazing city that has an
abundance of agave. While there, I was able to view a performance of
Danza de los Voladores. The dance originates from the indigenous people
of central Mexico and is a staple of different Puebla states in Mexico. The
dance is featured around a 30 foot tall pole in which 4-5 dancers climb to
the top while dancing and proceed to throw themselves back to the
ground (with a rope of course). According to myths, this dance was a ritual
performed for the rain god Xipe Topec to end droughts. The flying dancers
undoubtedly belongs among the historic dancers that make up Mexican
folk dancing.

14. I N T E R P R E TAT I O N O F T H E O R I G I N
Tlaquepaque is an iconic city that surrounds the
state of Jalisco. During the week of my cousins
wedding we were able to visit for the day. It is
extremely colorful and full of life. The historic
area is filled with vendors, artists and
performers. I was able to take in the hand made
pottery, hand crafted leatherwork, delicious food
and beautiful artwork. They also have
performances from mariachis which we have
also learned is an important part of Mexican
history.

15. E VA L U AT I O N O F T H E O R I G I N
The mood of the work is empowering and uplifting. The way in which I have
viewed the painting has allowed me to feel closer to my roots. The panting
evokes a sense of pride within me as well as my heritage. I have a very tight
knit family that is adorned with all types of individuals. Doctors, lawyers,
singers and artists alike. One thing we all share is a deep pride in where we
came from. I would say the painting is a success because of the feeling it
evokes.

16. E VA L U AT I O N O F T H E O R I G I N
The purpose of art is to stir up any emotion in an
individual. I would say ultimately that is the goal for
any artist. On a smaller scale, I would compare
Elizabeth's work to that of the Sistine Chapel.
Michael Angelo's work is a representation of the
spiritual development of humankind as well as the
relationship between god and humans. There is a lot
of religious history characterized on the chapels
ceiling. It is similar to Montelongos painting because
it evokes emotion that can only be deciphered by the
individual viewing the art.

17. C O N C L U S I O N O F T H E O R I G I N
In conclusion, I believe the artists work does
exactly what it is supposed to. While there
may be similar pieces that represent what she
is depicting, the amazing thing about art is
you will not get the same feeling for any other
painting as you did previously. Her indigenous
pride is a strong staple in the piece and I look
forward to exploring more of her work on my
own time.