Mujer de Serpiente

Snakes in many cultures are often used as substitutions for women. Examples are Coatlicue and Cihuacoatl in Aztec Mythos, the White Snake in Chinese Mythos, Naga in Buddhist/Hindu Mythology, the Lamia and Gorgons in Greek mythology, and Mama Wati in South African Legend. These Non-Western cultures were often exoticized and considered “lesser” because the works they created did not fit Western Art Standards. This lends itself to the Western interpretation of the Book of Genesis in the Holy Bible. Specifically, in Genesis 3:12 the text states that “woman” is the reason for “man” partaking from the tree of knowledge. “Woman” is also said to be influenced by the serpent, which has been modernized into the snake. Art historically, the Book of Genesis, the work of Caravaggio, Michelangelo, and other Religious painters led to snakes being consistently used to denote evil, treachery, temptation, paganism, and satanism.

Brownsville-based artist and scholar, Kimberly Sandoval, uses rattlesnakes as symbols and subjects within her oil paintings and video art to share her passion for their conservation and her autohistoria-teoria. The treatment of rattlesnakes in popular culture mirrors the treatment of women and Mexican Americans by the dominant culture of the United States. She has exhibited her video artwork in a Video Art Festival, Re:Karya, in Indonesia in 2022, and as part of a virtual gallery for CultureHub in New York in 2023.

This artist talk will highlight how symbols and subjects can be used to theorize through practice and present a different take on Border Arte.