Art imitating life?
Wall in Oaxaca on Plazuela del Carmen Alto. (Art by Tupac Emiliano)
Or, life imitating art?
On Avenida Benito Juárez, Teotitlán del Valle
You decide!
Posts Tagged ‘stencil art’
Along for the ride
Posted in Animals, Creativity, Culture, tagged bicicleta, bicycles, dogs, photos, popular travel destinations, stencil art, street art, Teotitlán del Valle, Tupac Emiliano, wall art on October 3, 2019| 3 Comments »
Homeland
Posted in Creativity, Culture, tagged Mexico, Oaxaca, photos, poetry, popular travel destinations, Ramón López Velarde quote, stencil art, street art, wall art on August 15, 2019| 4 Comments »
Walking to the market, it was the light and color and composition that caught my eye — a sidewalk still life.
I zeroed in on the skill of the artist(s) and the imagery.
In one, a man in the baseball cap looking back to his ancestors and the bounty of the land. In the other, what is that in the mouth of “he who shall not be named?” And, what of the quote?
“Homeland: your mutilated territory dresses in calico and glass beads.” What does it mean? What is it from? Who is R. L. Velarde?
I found the answers in the article, The Dissonant Legacy of Modernismo. Ramón López Velarde by Gwen Kirkpatrick. The quote is from the poem, “Suave Patria” (Gentle Homeland) by Ramón López Velarde, a poet of the Mexican Revolution — a poem that “celebrates the grandeur of Mexico’s simple, rustic life, as well as its glorious indigenous past.”
The daily education of the streets — more than meets the eye!
Oaxaca strong
Posted in Creativity, Culture, tagged Mexico, Oaxaca, photos, popular travel destinations, stencil art, street art, wall art on June 22, 2019| 2 Comments »
Ahhh… While in el norte, along with Sunday scenes in Tlacolula, I missed sights like this.
Seen on Matamoros between Crespo and Tinoco y Palacios in Oaxaca. Signed by @Mortales333
Love among the ruins
Posted in Creativity, Culture, tagged Efedefroy, graffiti, Judy Garland, Mexico, Oaxaca, Pedro Infante, photos, popular travel destinations, stencil art, street art, wall art on May 7, 2019| 2 Comments »
4 years and 2 days ago…
Posted in Creativity, Culture, Politics, Tragedy, Violence, tagged Ayotizinapa, disappeared, Escuela Normal Rural Raúl Isidro Burgos, Guerrero, Iguala, Mexico, Oaxaca, photos, stencil art, street art, student teachers, URTARTE, wall art on September 28, 2018| 2 Comments »
Four years and two days ago, 43 student teachers from Escuela Normal Rural Raúl Isidro Burgos in Ayotzinapa, Guerrero were disappeared in a violent attack on their bus in Iguala. They still haven’t been found, their families still grieve, and anger surrounding the lack of truth, transparency, and justice continues.
“For mothers who mourn empty graves for children who never returned”
In June of this year, a federal court ordered the creation of a truth and justice commission to undertake a new investigation but the current government has appealed the order. However, two days ago, on the anniversary of their disappearance, Mexico’s new president-elect, Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO), met with relatives and representatives of the missing students and vowed to discover the truth and implement the court order. Expectations are high, but skepticism remains.
Today’s heroes
Posted in Creativity, Culture, Travel & Tourism, tagged El Chapulín Colorado, graffiti, Javier Valdez, journalists, Mexico, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, stencil art, street art, wall art on September 19, 2018| 6 Comments »
The gods…
and superheroes like El Chapulín Colorado have had their day.
Today, the walls of Oaxaca remind us that it is journalists who are on the front lines — uncovering truth, advocating for justice, and often paying with their lives.
“Cuando un pais tiene ganas de gritar hay personas que no pueden callar.” (When a country wants to scream there are people who cannot remain silent.) — the late Mexican journalist, Javier Valdez.
Journalists in the USA, are you listening?
Oaxaca’s wallpaper
Posted in Creativity, Culture, Politics, Travel & Tourism, tagged graffiti, Mexico, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, political art, political commentary, protest, stencil art, street art, URTARTE, wall art on May 29, 2018| 4 Comments »
Protest art continues to paper the streets of Oaxaca.
It’s there in black and white against walls of texture and color — greeting the morning’s light and disappearing as shadows fall.
Today, the faces of rage, resistance, and anguish are not only looking down from walls, they are seen at eye level in Oaxaca’s zócalo and streets. They’re back… The annual occupation and blockades by Sección 22 of the CNTE (teachers’ union) has begun.
More faces…
Posted in Creativity, Culture, Travel & Tourism, tagged graphic arts, La Unión Revolucionaria de Trabajadores del Arte, Mexico, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, popular travel destinations, stencil art, street art, URTARTE, wall art on April 14, 2018| 2 Comments »
From boys to men, there are fierce faces watching from the walls in my neighborhood.
Color from La Unión Revolucionaria de Trabajadores del Arte (URTARTE).
Faces on the corner
Posted in Creativity, Culture, Travel & Tourism, tagged graffiti, graphic arts, La Unión Revolucionaria de Trabajadores del Arte, Mexico, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, popular travel destinations, stencil art, street art, URTARTE, wall art on April 12, 2018| 4 Comments »
Faces at Manuel Sabino Crespo and Mariano Matamoros…
Man in a green hat – Crespo at Matamoros
Man in a red hat – Matamoros at Crespo
The art of standing on the corner in Oaxaca.
What can you do to help?
Posted in Environment, Geography, Science & Nature, Tragedy, Weather, tagged disasters, donations, earthquake, earthquake relief, Mexico, Oaxaca, photos, relief efforts, Spanish vocabulary, stencil art, street art, wall art on September 28, 2017| 2 Comments »
In Oaxaca city, while nerves remain on edge, life is going on as usual with only a few signs of the recent earthquakes: Buildings years ago labeled “inmueble en mal estado” (property in a bad state) now sport yellow caution tape, as does Templo De La Virgen De Las Nieves, which has a huge crack along one of the bell towers. And, on my block, a plywood retaining wall has been erected to contain a wall that collapsed back in 2012.
Those atrapada (trapped) by the September 7th and September 19th earthquakes have mostly been rescued, though réplicas (aftershocks) continue daily, especially in the Isthmus of Tehuantepec region — still in the 4 to 4.5 on the Richter Scale (though not felt in Oaxaca city). Damnificados (victims) and escombros (debris) are all that remain in the hardest hit areas but tens of thousands of people are being forced to live in the streets. To add insult to injury, they must cope with torrential downpours and flooding from this very long and destructive rainy season.
Fundraising events are being held and centros de acopio (collection centers) have been set up to gather donations, with countless volunteers traversing damaged and dangerous mountain roads to deliver supplies. The need is massive!
HOW YOU CAN HELP:
Como Ayudar – A large international list of information and links regarding assistance and distribution of goods to help those affected by the most recent earthquakes in Mexico.
How To Help The Earthquake Victims In Mexico City, Morelos, Puebla & Oaxaca – List of organizations collecting monetary donations, compiled by Mexico City based food writer, Nicholas Gilman
In addition, a couple of friends have asked me to publicize small organizations they are working with:
Help to San Mateo del Mar, Oaxaca, Earthquake Victims – Norma Schaefer, of Oaxaca Cultural Navigator, is getting the word out on the earthquake relief efforts of cultural anthropologist Denise Lechner and medical doctor Anja Widman.
SER Mixe – An indigenous organization serving the Mixe people in the Mixe region of Oaxaca; recommended by Margaret Macsems, general manager of Khadi Oaxaca.
*** Words in red type have become hardwired in my brain — new Spanish vocabulary I wish I didn’t have to learn under these circumstances.
Ayotzinapa, 3 years, no answers
Posted in Creativity, Culture, Politics, Protests, Tragedy, Violence, tagged Ayotzinapa, disappeared, Escuela Normal Rural Raúl Isidro Burgos, Espacio Zapata, graphic arts, Guerrero, Iguala, Mexico, murals, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, stencil art, street art, student teachers, wall art on September 26, 2017| 8 Comments »
I can’t believe it has been three years since 43 student teachers went missing one night in Iguala, Guerrero. And, I can’t believe the key questions remain.
Who is responsible? What happened that night? Where are they? Why are there still no answers? How can 43 human beings be disappeared so completely? When will the truth be revealed?
In the midst of our current tragedies, let us not forget the 43 normalistas from Escuela Normal Rural Raúl Isidro Burgos, Ayotzinapa, Guerrero.
Three years without answers must seem like an eternity to their families….
Cats
Posted in Creativity, Culture, Travel & Tourism, tagged graffiti, Mexico, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, popular travel destinations, stencil art, street art, urban art, wall art on May 7, 2017| 7 Comments »
“What’s your name,” Coraline asked the cat. “Look, I’m Coraline. Okay?”
“Cats don’t have names,” it said.
“No?” said Coraline.
“No,” said the cat. “Now you people have names. That’s because you don’t know who you are. We know who we are, so we don’t need names.” — Neil Gaiman, Coraline
The problem with cats is that they get the exact same look on their face whether they see a moth or an axe-murderer. — Paula Poundstone
“Curiosity killed the cat,” Fesgao remarked, his dark eyes unreadable.
Aly rolled her eyes. Why did everyone say that to her? “People always forget the rest of the saying,” she complained. “‘And satisfaction brought it back.” — Tamora Pierce, Trickster’s Choice
Aly rolled her eyes. Why did everyone say that to her? “People always forget the rest of the saying,” she complained. “‘And satisfaction brought it back.” — Tamora Pierce, Trickster’s Choice
The morning after
Posted in Creativity, Culture, Education, Labor, Politics, tagged #OaxacaGrita, graffiti, Mexico, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, protests, Seccion 22, stencil art, street art, urban art, wall art on June 20, 2016| 25 Comments »
It’s the morning after the day and night before — and I don’t even know where to begin.
The very short and immediate version is: Yesterday afternoon about 50 miles north of the city in Nochixtlán, six demonstrators were killed when federal police moved in to breakup a 5-day long blockade by Sección 22 of the teachers union on the main highway between here and Puebla. As the police moved toward the city, there was another battle about 8 miles north near San Pablo Etla, and then last night about 7:30 a helicopter began flying over the city, smoke rose from near the teachers’ encampment in the zócalo (about 4 blocks away), and shouting and explosions were heard. It was still going on when I fell asleep around midnight.
It’s Monday morning, but all was eerily quiet when I awoke. Very little traffic on my usually busy street and almost no buses to be seen or heard. Television news and local papers are hopeless, so I began monitoring five Facebook groups dedicated to blockades, demonstrations, traffic, etc. and Twitter for news.
Needing a few groceries (I know that seems to be a constant theme, but I don’t have a car here, so can only buy what I can carry) and wanting to see what went on last night, my neighbor and I ventured out onto the streets. The acrid smell of smoke was still evident and, at almost every intersection, beginning with the one half a block down our street, tires were still smoldering. The closer we got to the zócalo, the more graffiti and damage we saw.
Oxxo on Morelos at Garcia Vigil had been vandalized and was closed, the windows of Catedral had been broken but the restaurant was open, and all the ATMs in BanNorte had been damaged, but the tellers were in place and banking was being done. However, it’s like a Sunday morning, with few people on the streets.
The teachers’ plantón (encampment) on and surrounding the zócalo remains, but it was dirty and depressing and there were a couple of drunk guys, so we opted not to venture further. Instead, we continued east on Independencia, passing more broken windows, scrawled messages on walls denouncing the federal and state governments and warning all that it has only just begun.
If you want background and more detailed reports, you can check out posts from Oaxaca at http://elenemigocomun.net/. Yes, I know, it’s from the perspective of the teachers and protestors — I figure the “mainstream” media has got the government’s point of view covered.
Stencil photos were taken a few days ago on Garcia Vigil, between Independencia and Morelos. Yes, I did take photos this morning of the remnants of last night’s events, but I just can’t bring myself to post them. The mood is sad and wary — no one knows how and when this will end — and the ghosts of 2006 hang over the city.
Handwriting is on the wall
Posted in Creativity, Culture, Economics, Education, Politics, Protests, Travel & Tourism, tagged Asaro, educational reforms, graffiti, Jaguar Print, Mexico, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, Seccíon xxII, Seccion 22, stencil art, street art, wall art on May 27, 2016| Leave a Comment »
… between Independencia and Morelos on Garcia Vigil.
That’s Mexico’s president Enrique Peña Nieto, backed by the military, leading the charge against the teachers’ union.
No to the education reform! Only books will draw this country away from barbarism.
My future is in your hands – No to the privatization of education!
To protest is not a crime – No to the education reform
Reforms: Energy – Education – Financial – Electoral – Labor
The occupation of the Zócalo continues; yesterday Sección XXII of the CNTE (teachers’ union) shut down the airport; today a federal helicopter is flying overhead as I write, no doubt keeping tabs on a mass march from the IEEPO (State Institute of Public Education) to the Zócalo; the extremely contentious election for governor of Oaxaca is June 5; Guelaguetza 2016 performances are July 25 and August 1; and the new school year is scheduled to begin in mid August. It could be a long hot summer…
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Women in struggle
Posted in Creativity, Culture, Politics, Protests, Travel & Tourism, tagged Armarte, art, International Women's Day, marches, Mexico, Oaxaca, photos, political art, political commentary, protest, stencil art, street art, urban art, wall art, women's rights on March 11, 2019| 2 Comments »
Armed with their art, the women of Armarte OAX have taken to the streets to raise their voices in struggle.
And, they aren’t alone in Oaxaca…
In the early evening of International Women’s Day, thousands of women “reclaimed” some of the most dangerous streets of the city demanding an end to street harassment, punishment for rapists, the cessation of violence against women, and safe abortion.
Struggle, the other “women’s work.”
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