At first glance, Lopez’s artwork appears to depict a child’s standard dress. However, upon closer inspection, the white “patterning” on the blue background refers to the artist’s experience of caring for her father during his battle with Alzheimer’s. Words like ‘sorrow,’ ‘examination,’ and ‘anguish’ stand out as signifiers of her struggle.
Lopez printed these words on tamale wrappers rather than on fabric, and then sewed the papers into a dress form. While the dress’s style, materials, and text refer to specific aspects of her childhood and Mexican-American identity, the sculpture itself serves to evoke a universal response to experiences of familial care.
