MFA student Paula Currie writes about Casta Paintings for Global Insight Magazine

UTA Global Insight

The new volume of UTA’s Global Insight magazine features a contribution by MFA student Paula Currie. Titled “Social Hierarchy and Purity of Blood in New Spain”, this essay looks at the research of leading scholars in Spanish art, colonial Latin American history, Spanish history, and religion to create an in-depth analysis of New Spain. Currie explains the ideology known as limpieza de sangre or purity of blood and analyzes how art was used to spread racial propaganda to further the concept of White Spanish superiority in New Spain. Consequently, Spanish art and ideology created lasting effects still evident in Latin America today.

Currie says about her research: “I first heard about Casta Paintings while taking Dr. Vaccaro's class. A classmate chose to do their research on this topic, emphasizing the lasting effects of cultural blending. I was captivated by the idea that a pictorial record of social hierarchy existed in the art world. Later that year, Dr. Vaccaro suggested that I look into the origins of Casta Paintings as part of my McNair Scholars summer research. I was fascinated by what I found. Being born and raised in America, I am ashamed to admit I don't know much about my Hispanic heritage, so this was very eye-opening for me and helped me to understand cultural differences that were previously a mystery.”

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Published by UTA Libraries and the McDowell Center, Global Insight: A Journal of Critical Human Science and Culture aims at firing the imagination of up-and-coming scholars by providing a venue for critical thinking and independent research. Our endeavor is to cultivate the capacity of undergraduate students for subtle and nuanced reasoning as well as nurture a passion for ideas and an appreciation for the social, political, cultural, linguistic, ethical, environmental, and historical dimensions of important issues facing our global society today.

Global Insight magazine is now accepting submissions for Fall 2024. Contributors must be undergraduate students from any college at The University of Texas at Arlington. Submissions are subject to double-blind peer review. The journal is available to a wide, international audience in an online platform via academic hosts and vendors as well as a limited print run.