Apr 18

Punk Ruca: a HERstory new work by Amalia Ortiz

6:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Artpace

Amalia will perform new work influenced by punk music and culture as it intersects with the Chicanx experience.

“I​ ​chose​ ​the​ ​punk​ ​aesthetic​ ​because​ ​the​ ​issues​ ​I​ ​tackle​ ​in​ ​my​ ​writing​ ​such​ ​as​ ​racial injustice,​ ​gender​ ​inequality,​ ​and​ ​environmental​ ​justice​ ​demand​ ​immediate​ ​action​ ​and​ ​outrage. Punk​ ​is​ ​never​ ​subtle​ ​or​ ​short​ ​on​ ​rage.​ ​In​ ​​Supernatural Strategies for Making a Rock​ ‘n’ Roll Group, Ian​ ​F.​ ​Svenonius​ ​writes​ ​rock​ ​music​ ​“is​ ​an​ ​American​ ​art,​ ​brought​ ​about​ ​by​ ​the​ ​Industrial Revolution,​ ​the​ ​harnessing​ ​of​ ​electricity,​ ​and​ ​the​ ​miscegenation​ ​of​ ​various​ ​poor,​ ​exploited,​ ​and indentured​ ​cultures​ ​in​ ​the​ ​USA.​ ​Rock​ ​‘n’​ ​roll​ ​expresses​ ​a​ ​simultaneous​ ​celebration​ ​and condemnation​ ​of​ ​trash​ ​culture,​ ​class​ ​struggle,​ ​and​ ​imperial​ ​privilege.” Punk​ ​is​ ​also​ ​dominated​ ​by​ ​male​ ​aggression​ ​and​ ​often​ ​marginalizes​ ​female​ ​and​ ​queer perspectives.​ ​In​ ​the​ ​U.S.,​ ​punk​ ​is​ ​also​ ​overwhelmingly​ ​dominated​ ​by​ ​white​ ​narratives.​

​My​ ​goal is​ ​to​ ​center​ ​women’s​ ​voices,​ ​creatively​ ​chronicle​ ​their​ ​stories,​ ​and​ ​explore​ ​the​ ​intersection​ ​of their​ ​experiences​ ​and​ ​my​ ​own. At​ ​the​ ​same​ ​time, I​ ​explore​ ​the​ ​correlation​ ​of​ ​rasquachismo​ ​and​ ​the​ ​do-it-yourself nature​ ​of​ ​punk.​ ​Dr.​ ​Tomas​ ​Ybarra-Frausto​ ​calls​ ​rasquachismo​ ​a​ ​Chicanx​ ​sensibility​ ​born​ ​of necessity.​ ​Like​ ​punk,​ ​rasquachismo​ ​thumbs​ ​its​ ​nose​ ​at​ ​the​ ​ruling​ ​class​ ​and​ ​proudly​ ​creates something​ ​from​ ​nothing.​ ​Rasquachismo​ ​drives​ ​me​ ​to​ ​follow​ ​my​ ​sheroes​ ​in​ ​repurposing​ ​a historically​ ​white,​ ​male​ ​expression​ ​to​ ​radically​ ​re-envision​ ​it​ ​through​ ​the​ ​lens​ ​of​ ​intersectional feminism.​ ​In​ ​doing​ ​so,​ ​I attempt to ​give​ ​women​ ​of​ ​color​ ​permission​ ​to​ ​express​ ​themselves as​ ​loudly​ ​as​ ​white​ ​men.”

This performance will also feature Kip Austin Hinton on guitar.

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