LACMA

monument? And there is more than one? What might it mean to have a research society of erased and invisible history? How exactly is the term "pocho" used? (Typically, an affront signifying an assimilated, inauthentic Mexican—such as a Chicana/o or Mexican American born in the U.S.—"pocho," or "pocha," has been reclaimed by many Chicanas/os as a term of affirmation.) This plaque, like the others in Operation Invisible Monument, remained in situ until it was removed—in this case, within a few hours of its installation. Yet removal does not necessarily mean a return to absence. Indeed, although every Operation Invisible Monument plaque has been subsequently dislodged from its site (except for The Triumph of the Tagger, which is located in a remote location in downtown Los Angeles), they persist, though in slightly altered manifestations: photographs posted on de la Loza's website, press releases, exhibition cata- logue essays, reviews, or by word of mouth. Operation Invisible Monument was a modest and precise engagement with the question of unacknowledged history as it directly critiqued the omissions of "official history." Overall, de la Loza's projects tend to be immense in scope, yet disarmingly small in scale. They are theoretically astute, yet unencum- bered by didacticism. They are readily accessible, yet always highly conceptual. Presented without apology or irony, her public works might remain relatively unnoticed because they assume the language and form of something else. Unexpectedly, however, they can be (and are often) easily removed from their site. Despite this, her projects often linger beyond their initial installation; they retain a virtual presence as she preserves and disseminates their memory. — MARIO ONTIVEROS Artist, archivist, and scholar Sandra de la Loza is the founding member of the Pocho Research Society (PRS), a collective of "artists, activists, and rasquache historians who reside in Los Angeles…dedicated to the systematic investigation of space, memory and displacement." With a self-stated goal "to interrupt historical amnesia," the PRS issues brochures and press releases, but its members remain anonymous, a research society shrouded in myth, rumor, and hearsay. In fact, de la Loza is the PRS; rather, she is its only official member. But as an imaginary collective, the deception works. The PRS adequately describes the multi- tasking that seems required of artists to produce work; in addition, operating under the guise of a scholarly organization implies a level of academic seriousness and rigor. For Operation Invisible Monument (2002), de la Loza placed four historic plaques in various locations around Los Angeles, each commemorating specific moments in the city's history. Descriptive text offered an account of the event or an explanation of the significance of the site, while also noting the reasons for its erasure from most "official histories." For example, Tropical America referred to the whitewashing of David Alfaro Siqueiros's 1932 mural of the same name. Instead of a mural to enhance Los Angeles's downtown tourist economy (as was commissioned), Siqueiros depicted a scene in which a male indígenia is crucified on a double cross, upon which rests an eagle. Siqueiros's imagery explicitly denounced U.S. imperialism, capitalism, and exploita- tion, rather than providing a romanticized version of a "tropical" America. For the PRS project, de la Loza affixed two small plaques to the exterior of the building presently housing the mural. The upper plaque consisted of an isolated detail of the mural, the crucified figure, though now inverted. The lower plaque described the mural's subject matter and supplied biting commentary regarding the mural's initial whitewashing. Its persistent invisibility becomes an issue for the present: "A symbol of an erased history that yet endures." Another difference was the atypical caption along the plaque's lower register: DECLARED INVISIBLE MONUMENT #2 BY THE POCHO RESEARCH SOCIETY OF ERASED AND INVISIBLE HISTORY Individually, many of these terms signify certification and conservation, but taken together they seem counterintuitive: How can something invisible be declared a 133 SANDRA DE LA LOZA

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