Mi Virgen, Mi Protectora;

An In-Depth Look at Artistic Representations of La Virgen De Guadalupe

Having been raised in a Mexican-American family the Image of La Virgen De Guadalupe was always near. I remember the prayer candles with her image on the windowsill above the kitchen sink, a statue with her image watching over us from the ledge above the fireplace in the living room. On trips to visit my grandfather in Mexico, we could see an image of her stood atop el cero guarding the town below,in a small chapel littered with candles housing special prayers. A portrait of La Virgen hung next to the crucified Jesus on my bedroom wall protecting me as I slept. The image of La Virgen de Guadalupe is a common symbol in the Latino community. If you ask any Latina/o many of them, that is the ones that are catholic, will have some story about La Virgen in their own lives. The image of La Virgen is especially prominent in East Los Angeles, hanging insides family owned stores, hubcaps, pendants, graffiti you name it.

From her first appearance in 1531 to Juan Diego, La Virgen de Guadalupe has grown into a national symbol. While the Classical image has become an unforgettable icon it has also evolved and adapted to suit the needs of those who worship her. Whether it be on the Chicana/o Canvas or as a tool for feminist to cross male-dominated hegemonic hierarchal structures of the Machismo culture of Latin America. The image of La Virgen can be used as symbol o resistance, revolt, forgiveness, and protection offering the community peace and unification

La Virgen De Guadalupe And The Chicana/o Canvas

In 2004 National Public Radio did a short interview with, a renowned Tattoo artist from East Los Angeles, Mister Cartoon. Mister Cartoon talks about the immense amount of respect he has for La Virgen. Being commission to tattoo her image is an almost sacramental experience. Mister Cartoon says that he always feels excited and nervous when commissioned for the job. Mister Cartoon explains that when preparing to tattoo the image of La Virgen he has to prepare himself for the incredible amount of detail and shading that must be completed. Despite the immense amount of work that tattooing La Virgen entails, Mister Cartoon knows that the finished product will be worth the time he has to put in.

One of the aspects of this interview that I found interesting is the conflicting tattoos Mister Cartoon specializes in. Mister Cartoon usually specializes in “sexy woman tattoos”(NPR) but he also specializes in La Virgen de Guadalupe. Mister Cartoon explains that he takes both projects with different standards, when he is commissioned to tattoo La Virgen he does away with the curves and detail of the ‘sexy-woman’ tattoos and instead goes more simplistic and soft in the likeness of a motherly figure clean, respectable and with a fuller face (NPR).

Mister Cartoon has his own tattoo of the Virgen, which he explains has a lot to do with the community in which he was raised. He says, “in Latino culture, your raised to be macho… not let anyone get over on you.” He continues, “It’s funny how the hardest gangsters get that tattoo… the reason the homies get that tattoo is kind of like a protector, Like protect me from what I’m about to do”(NPR). It is interesting that in this moment the Virgen becomes a symbol of lost innocence. The hardened gangsters/cholos get the tattoo to remind themselves of their sins. They carry La Virgen with them everywhere as a protection from violence but at the same time, they are continuing to carry out violence. In the same interview, we get a glimpse into the mind of another tattooed man, Armando Sierra who gets his tattoo of La Virgen shortly after the death of his father, He says that after the death of his father who had been a protector for him it was only suiting for him to get that tattoo (La Virgen). He states, that he wanted a tattoo that would look after him, and he says that his catholic upbringing made it an easy decision. “There was no other image than the Virgin Mary to put on my shoulder” (NPR). Again, we see the same relation, a young man from a less than privileged neighborhood, getting the tattoo of La Virgen as a way of seeking her protection.