Jackalope by Larry Yañez (album cover)

Cocina Jaiteca

Larry Yañez is known for his juxtaposition of contemporary and traditional Chicano cultural symbols in his artworks. In Cocina Jaiteca he delights in parody and word play. In Spanish, cocina means "kitchen," and the word jaiteca is meaningless. However, when it is pronounced the Spanish way, with the “j” making the sound of an “h,” it sounds like English "high-tech-a." Also, the word resembles a word in Nahuátl, the language of the ancient Aztec civilization.

Jaiteca is not a Nahuátl word, and the kitchen is anything but high tech. The work is instead replete with cultural references to the past and present. For example, the artist incorporates the Virgin of Guadalupe as a focal point on the wall above the refrigerator. Other visual references to Mexican and Mexican American culture include the nopal cactus outside the window, the calendar image based on a legend about Aztec lovers, and the Sacred Heart of Jesus and calavera symbols depicted as refrigerator magnets.

The artist’s sense of playful juxtaposition extends to music. He and his friends play in a band called the Jackalopes. A jackalope is an imaginary animal that's part jack rabbit and part antelope. Jackalope music, like his art, mixes different instruments and rhythms in exciting new ways. The band features Native American flute by R. Carlos Nakai and modern synthesizer by the artist.