Art Feature | Chicago Reader: As we reflect on the year so far and think forward to November, political art has never been more important. The Latinx community, which has a long history of "artivism," has brought power to racial struggles for decades and helped unite Chicago and capture the fervent energy this summer. In a culturally rich and diverse but segregated city, Latinx artivism shows there is power in community, especially in the midst of a pandemic that disproportionately hits Black and Brown Chicagoans the worst.
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I think street art is so incredibly powerful for this reason. Artists of different backgrounds are able to stand up for what they believe in, where everyone can see it. Even people who may be against the message must confront it on their daily commute. Street art also gains power from it being free, so people who may not be able to afford tickets to a museum can see incredible art, and art that is honestly more likely to resonate with them. It has long been a divisive argument on whether graffiti, specifically the "illegal" kind, is art. I don't understand how people can not see that it is! Growing up near New York City, it was rare that I went anywhere without seeing some graffiti. As a kid I would marvel at the spray paint outside of my train's window when we went to Manhattan, and I wouldn't be surprised if that caused my interest in typography and love of art in general. Seeing art everywhere you go is healing, and street art of all kinds in making the world a better place.
This is definitely a bright spot in the news page articles this week, it’s amazing to see artists unifying together for such an important cause and getting the opportunity to hear their stories only adds to the depth of the art their creating. Will such a plethora of violence and killing seeing art that can beautifully represent a movement that is so crucial in history is a wonderfully change of pace. It is also amazing to see how different people are able to contribute to the movement in their own ways. I was most taken with the artist who couldn’t attend the protests for medical reasons who created drawings of photos that had been taken at the protests. I think his description of himself as more of a DJ who simply presents the images in a new format was a really interesting take on the art he was creating. All of the artists and their work was so impactful and I was happy to get to see some beauty in such dark times.
It is so inspiring to see fellow Latinx people creating art and using that art to make an impactful statement. There is notion that art is inherently a space surrounded by privilege, and that those who take time to enjoy or make art are living lavishly. That art is a frivolous past time, but these creators prove that art can be meaningful, and it can be used to really push people to think and expand their worldviews. One of my favorite things about doing theater is that hopefully audiences will come, enjoy a really great story, and leave with one more perspective and a worldview that has been expanded even if just a little. These artists are just doing that. They are putting their art out there so that people can experience their worldview and learn about how the world operates from the perspective of others. I’m also just really proud to see so many fellow Mexican-Americans standing up to be champions of change and fight against the anti-blackness in the Latinx community.
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