Growing Pains, explores adolescence as a time of coming of age that is marked by losses. I contend, however, that these painful experiences can become catalysts for hope-filled growth and maturation. My four outcomes have references to my own childhood and adolescence, immersed in Mexican American culture and Catholic religiosity. The materiality of religious symbols such as candle wax, veils, rosaries, and little medals called milagros (Spanish for miracles) visually unite the four expressions of my thesis.
During the process of coming of age, all the things that once protected you-- set values, friends, a defined identity and dreams- are shed and you are dislocated left naked and vulnerable in the world. You are left with holes in which these things used to occupy and just the memory of what once was. You are left to look within and reflect upon how these things have shaped you. Through the integration of your innate self and the memories and experience of what was lost you can slowly fill these holes, build yourself back up again and establish integrity. A new consciousness is formed and you are ready for adulthood. During the process of coming of age, all the things that once protected you-- set values, friends, a defined identity and dreams- are shed and you are dislocated left naked and vulnerable in the world. You are left with holes in which these things used to occupy and just the memory of what once was. You are left to look within and reflect upon how these things have shaped you. Through the integration of your innate self and the memories and experience of what was lost you can slowly fill these holes, build yourself back up again and establish integrity. A new consciousness is formed and you are ready for adulthood.
Outcome 1:
COLLECTION
The silhouettes are oversized to symbolize there is still room to grow. By incorporating both sheer and opaque fabrics the collection explores the duality of protection and vulnerability and the hybridity of cultural and gender identity. Each look is also adorned with weaving, rustdye, fishnet, crochet, and wax batique to allude to the cultural and religious symbols that communicate the process of integrating the childhood and adolescent experiences that shape one’s identity.
First, the collection features five looks that explore my thesis through silhouette, surface manipulation, draping, color, and textures. I use both fragile and durable textiles from cultural and ritual clothing, such as lace veils and a guyabera. These serve as metaphors for culture, family, and spirituality. These can be sources of resiliency that guide the difficult journey of adolescence from the threshold of liminality to the unveiling of a new consciousness.
 |  |  |
|---|---|---|
 |  |  |
Process: key words, mood boards, preliminary sketches
 |  |  |
|---|---|---|
 |  |  |
 |  |  |
 |  |  |
 |  |  |
 |
Process: materiality swatches
Outcome 2 :
ACCESSORIES
The second outcome is a series of accessories that accentuate and anchor the pieces with distinct uses of the symbolic milagros. These little medals are used in Latino religiosity to concretely represent a spiritual intention. For example, if someone is sick, a medal of the body part that needs healing is hung on a statue or cross as a material representation of the prayers offered. One look features a milagro earing of a leg and foot, symbolic of listening for the right direction on a journey.
Similarly, another look has oversized, felt milagros of hands and feet incorporated into the coat to represent the protection needed on the journey. The life-sized milagro of the breast serves to protect the heart during the passionate (red hoodie) journey of self-discovery. Finally, the high-top sneakers are copiously covered with various milagros to anticipate protection for all kinds of situations one runs into along the way. The shoes represent the dynamic nature of culture and how it unconsciously follows us wherever we go. The non-traditional use of religious symbols in these accessories demonstrates social innovation. Latino youths value their culture and religious upbringing but they are also challenging constricting identities and redefining cultural, gender, and spiritual identities.
 |  |
|---|---|
 |  |
 |  |
 |  |
 |  |
Outcome 3 :
"Bye Angie" Book of Curated Poems
My third outcome is a curated book of poems written by my Tia (Spanish for Aunt) Angie who tragically died in a motorcycle accident as a teenager. Her short life was filled with not only the normal losses of adolescence but also the terrible pain of abandonment, abuse, and depression. I was named after her and even though I never met her, stories about her have been with me since childhood. As I have read through the many letters and journals she left behind, I have gotten to know her on a very intimate level. Even though my childhood and adolescence were very different from hers, I resonate with her pain, her joys, and her deep longing to be an artist and poet. I have intermingled images I created with her words throughout the book to express this connection with my Tia and to give her a voice to share her wisdom with anyone who is willing to listen to her poems.
 |  |
|---|---|
 |  |
 |  |
 |  |
 |  |
 |  |
 |  |
 |  |
 |  |
 |  |
 |  |
 |  |
 |  |
 |  |
 |  |
 |  |
 |
Outcome 4 :
"TO OUR YOUTH"
INTERACTIVE nICHO
My final outcome is a Nicho (Spanish for niche) which is a small shrine that features personal religious and cultural images from my childhood and adolescence. The personal however is a reflection of the universal journey of leaving something behind to encounter something new. The viewers are invited to remember their own journeys by hanging a milagro on the shrine that reminds them of their childhood or adolescence. The viewers can also write a message to their younger selves on special paper that dissolves as they place it the shrine’s jars of water, symbolic of becoming aware of the unconscious. The interactive shrine is a way for the viewers to connect with their own memories of joy and pain…and to reach for healing and integration.
 |
|---|