A Feast For The Eyes: Convergences Of Labor, Food, And Art Across The U.S.-Mexico Border

This thesis investigates how artistic representations of food serve as a medium for reclaiming cultural identity and rendering visible the often-invisible labor behind food production within Latinx and Chicanx communities. Drawing from the work of contemporary artist Narsiso Martinez and the Royal Chicano Air Force’s Calendario de Comida (1976), this project explores the full cycle of food—from cultivation to consumption. Inspired by borderlands theorist Gloria Anzaldúa’s articulation of art and food as vehicles for cultural continuity and resistance, the analysis centers on figural representation as a tool for confronting systemic erasure and oppression. Using an interdisciplinary methodology that includes art historical research, cultural theory, and oral testimony, the thesis situates the work of Martinez and the RCAF within broader narratives of migration, labor, and community organizing. Martinez’s multimedia portraits highlight the humanity and vulnerability of farmworkers—often marginalized in dominant discourse—while RCAF’s depictions of traditional dishes celebrate the histories and identities embedded in food preparation. Together, these artworks challenge hegemonic representations of the U.S.-Mexico border and offer a powerful visual pedagogy of resistance. By framing the thesis around the food cycle, the study underscores the persistent exploitation and racialized invisibility within the agricultural industry, even as Latinx cuisine gains cultural recognition. This project connects conversations in Chicanx studies, borderlands theory, and art history by emphasizing food as a potent channel of cultural expression, memory, and social justice through the artistic creations it inspires.