Maria de los Angeles y los angelitos negros [Maria de los Angeles and the Black Little Angels]

Gaspar Enríquez’s artistic practice is rooted in the unique Mexican-American culture developed along the border. As he explained: “My dominant concern is to reflect an experience, and express a feeling about a lifestyle and an attitude. A lifestyle I grew up in and an attitude necessary for survival in the barrio.” His portraits combine the bravado, the pathos, and the singular style of borderland youth culture, often inspired by students he mentored during 34 years as a high school art teacher. Maria de los Angeles y los angelitos negros depicts a self-possessed young Chicana, with two small tattooed cupids visible on her chest. She directly engages the viewer’s gaze, at once aware of and in full power of her sexuality. Although her name literally translates to “Angelic Mary,” her tattooed “black angels,” mentioned in the title, are not quite chaste. Sensitively portraying the unique street style that Chicano youth embrace to affirm their identities, Enríquez also uses this Spanish title to allude to the Catholicism prevalent among Mexican-American families.