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This image is for study only, and may not accurately represent the object’s true color or scale…
Genesis Woman
This image is for study only, and may not accurately represent the object’s true color or scale…
This image is for study only, and may not accurately represent the object’s true color or scale. It should not be shared or reproduced without permission by the copyright holder.

Genesis Woman

Primary (Los Mochis, Mexico, 1966–Los Angeles, California, present)
Date1992
MediumScreenprint
DimensionsSheet: 26 1/8 × 20 in. (66.3 × 50.8 cm)
Image: 23 × 16 15/16 in. (58.4 × 43.1 cm)
Credit LineBlanton Museum of Art, The University of Texas at Austin, Gift of Gilberto Cárdenas, 2017.464
Rights Statement
Collection AreaPrints and Drawings
Object number2017.464
On View
Not on view
Label Text
Chicana artist Alma Lopez recalls cultural myths and Catholic religious iconography to reframe women in powerful and compassionate roles. Here, Lopez refers to the biblical Book of Genesis and situates her figure among elements of death and the Garden of Eden, including the serpent and an apple. Alluding to Eve, the artist provides a redemptive outlook to counter the narrative of a rebellious woman damning humanity. Lopez’s central figure reaches for celestial reinforcement and grasps the hand of the Virgen de Guadalupe for support. Each apple, instead of representing a “forbidden fruit,” transforms into an immaculate heart of Mary to reference an overarching Marian devotion and what the artist calls “women helping women.” 
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