Rose Aguilar

31 March 2017

Professor Batty

English 101

She, Who Watches the Valley

"Levi Fonz Ponce doesn't want to change the world. He just wants to change

his street (KCET). Ponce began painting when he was just 6 years old by helping his

father paint building walls. However, his creativity and free time became a habit,

which lead to one of the best known street galleries in the San Fernando Valley.

"Mural Mile" is a section in Pacoima, California that consists of East Valley cultural

themed murals. A specific mural I will be focusing on is the Lady of the Valley"

mural. This mural is located on the streets of Van Nuys and Dronfield in Pacoima,

California. Its aesthetic color-match and sweet, innocent face painted in the middle of

the mural catches peoples attention instantly. Although some may argue that peoples

immediate attention is not on Latinas physical appearance, I claim otherwise as shown

through the symbolism of the beauty and religious imagery hidden in the Lady of

the Valley mural.

As a woman of the San Fernando Valley, I am accustomed to the everyday

norms, yet I forget how expected the East Valley and Latina culture is. The Lady of

the Valley mural has a black background with red roses painted on the edges. The

roses are painted of a bright red with green petals and their stems are sticking out the

bottom sides of the roses and the mural. In the center, a lady is painted who seems and

looks young, yet not extremely young; maybe around the ages of 19-24. She is light
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skinned and has dark brown hair, however, her head is covered by a dark green cloth.

She has lemon-shaped brown eyes. Her eyebrows are perfectly shaped-- not too thick,

not too thin. She also has a small nose and red lips that compliments her slim face. She

is wearing gold hoop earrings. And her dark orange shirt falls off her shoulders but is

captivated by a gold strap right above it. As described, the Latina in the mural is

shown to be young and beautiful. Things such as hoop earrings, brown eyes and

shoulder topped shirts are things my Latina community and I can relate to. With that

being said, we can determine how physical appearance is a major factor of Latino

culture. This muralist could have simply painted a woman with work morals, a

professional with formal clothes, or even yet a simple woman, father and child

painting. Instead of painting any other concept, this artist preferred to show the

physical aspect of Latina women.

In addition to the Latina beauty expressed in this mural, religious views

towards women in the Latina culture are shown as well. "The lady, wearing a simple

veil and surrounded by vivid red roses, draws upon the images of the Virgen de

Guadalupe that are commonly found across Los Angeles. Her off-the-shoulder top,

hoop earrings and crimson lips, however, lend the lady a modern sensibility

(LAStreetArt.Gallery). This adds on to the religious symbolism hidden in the mural.

The lady in the mural has her head tilted and her hands together just as any saint

Virgin Mary picture or statues. The Virgin Mary is said to be the mother of Jesus

Christ in the Catholic religion. She is a major role model because the Catholic people

pray to her for comfort and for relief. Thus the Blessed Virgin is often referred to as

the 'rose without thorns', since she was immaculately conceived, (Liquisearch). This
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continues to reassure how Latina women are seen delicate and purified, much as those

roses without thorns. To an extended, Latina women are seen and expected to be

purified like The Virgin Mary. They are not often recognized or viewed as professional

beings. Instead, if you mention the word Latina, a lady with a pretty light skin tone

and big brown eyes is what they picture. Although looks do not and should not define

a persons capability, in the Latina culture it is. The Lady of the Valley mural is an

additional evidential point to the publics expectation of Latina physical appearances.

In art, we are able to translate our feelings and thoughts into pictures,

drawings, and in this case-- murals. Even though there are indefinite perspectives in

visual arts, we are able to conclude that the "Lady of the Valley" mural has plenty

Latina culture judgement hidden upon Latina physical and religious aspects. The

general expectations seen in a Latina, are not necessarily those we need to complete.

And although the stereotype of being a purified young woman is greatly pressed, it is

not mandatory. Its only a motivational bump in the road in which Latinas have and

must overcome. Levi Ponce just wanted to change his streets with his murals. To an

extend, he accomplished his goal. But I never thought he would wound up changing

my world.
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Works Cited

"LA Street Art Gallery. LA Street Art Gallery N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Feb. 2017.

Liquisearch. Symbolism of the Rose Miracle of the Roses. N.P., n.d. Web. 31 May 2017

KCET. "Muralist Levi Ponce Uses Van Nuys Boulevard as a Gallery." N.p., 01 Jan. 2017.

Web. 01 Mar. 2017.

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Appendix

Lady of the Valley by Levi Ponce

14015 Van Nuys Boulevard, Pacoima, CA 91331

http://museumsanfernandovalley.blogspot.com/2013/04/cherishing-our-valley-2013-before.html
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Virgin Mary

http://museumsanfernandovalley.blogspot.com/2013/04/cherishing-our-valley-2013-before.html