October 25 , 2007
War of the Walls’ photo exhibit
Worcester, Mass. - A unique form of dialogue emerges when power suppresses normal channels of communication, as documented by the stirring photographs of political wall art on display in Clark University's Dana Commons, second floor lounge. This free exhibit, "War of the Walls: Rebellion and Graphic Art in Oaxaca, Mexico, by photo-journalist Aaron Tukey is on display through Monday, December 11.
On Thursday, November 15, at 7 p.m. in Dana Commons, a panel discussion, "The Power Relationships behind Political Street Art of Oaxaca," builds on Tukey's photographs of Oaxaca's public protest art. Panelists, including Beth Kubick, a representative of Witness for Peace; Dianne Rocheleau, associate professor in the Graduate School of Geography; and photojournalist Aaron Tukey, will share their experiences of the ongoing struggle in Oaxaca between the citizens and their government. They will also describe Oaxaca's movement toward meaningful dialogue and a more just sharing of community power. The discussion and exhibition, part of the Difficult Dialogues Symposium on Power, are open to the public and are free of charge.
Political wall art has long been a tradition in Mexico to convey critical messages to the people, as seen in the murals of Diego Rivera, Jose Clemente Orozco and Rufino Tamayo. The most recent example of graphic political dialogue is in Oaxaca, Mexico, where in November 2006, after a five-month siege, the governor removed by force educators and demonstrators seeking a voice in determining public policy. Among their concerns are privatization, free trade policies, and equitable wages.
The political wall paintings in Oaxaca are created mainly by artists in APPO (the Popular Assembly of the People of Oaxaca – the main opposition group to come out of the 2006 protests). Through their work they hope to mobilize the rural and urban populations across social and ethnic differences and to condemn the repression of the current governor of Oaxaca. In Spring 2007, while Tukey was working on a major photography project portraying the agrarian crisis in Oaxaca, he was struck by the beauty and power of this protest wall art.
 "The wall art set up an interesting dynamic," Tukey says. "The urban graphic artists want to create a social impact while avoiding censorship, so they look for ways to establish a dialogue with the population by using the lexicon of popular culture, allegory, and doble sentido (double meanings)." For example, in Mexico lucha libre is the popular sport of wrestling, so those words and images could be an ad for an upcoming wrestling match or a metaphor for the struggle of good over evil. The inscription, La lucha sigue—the struggle continues—drives the meaning home. People from the countryside see the political wall art on trips to the market and increasingly, on walls in surrounding towns.
In the "War of the Walls," the political graphics are painted quickly by night or surreptitiously by day. Just as quickly, they are obliterated on orders from officials who do not want tourists to see evidence of the people's opposition to their government. This brand of censorship, however, leaves untouched announcements of upcoming events and graffiti by adolescents with spray cans. The repression has forced artists to find subtler ways to have a dialogue with the people. This subtlety is very effective, says Tukey, because it requires people to think and have dialogues about the painted wall images.
Tukey's photographs of the wall art in Oaxaca have a striking sun-splashed, three-dimensional texture. The multihued walls are cracked, and pieces of stucco crumble from their surfaces. The photographs reveal layers upon layers of paint, the colors peeling to reveal a collage of words and graphics beneath. Irrepressible images of protest bleed through the wash of color. On one wall are images of helicopters, specters of menace dropping tear gas on protesters. On another, images of children appear as the sympathetic symbol of the people's movement. Oddly enough, a painted Virgin of Guadeloupe remains untouched—complete with gas mask and a burning tire pattern on her robes. The legend beneath; "Protect Us Holy Virgin of the Barricades."
"As a precursor to dialogue, the people have to get a seat at the table," says Tukey, "and they are not there now. The people were not consulted on issues such as trade policy or the use of public space. In the absence of a more inclusive democratic dialogue, the wall art serves as a vehicle of public protest. It creates political leverage so that people can be part of the dialogue and decisions that affect their lives."
Tukey hopes that his photographs will inspire viewers to wonder how public space is claimed in the United States. Should there be limits on what private interests can put into the public's range of sight? Do limits infringe on the right of free speech?
Aaron Tukey has long had an affinity for Spanish culture, which he first discovered as a high school student living in Spain. He continued this interest while completing a master's degree in Latin American Studies at the University of Arizona. As an adult, he has lived in Colombia and in Mexico. His photographs of rural life in Colombia have appeared in Italy's La Repubblica (May 2007).
Tukey currently telecommutes as a systems analyst for a hospital in San Francisco. He moved to Worcester this summer with his wife, Liza Grandia, a faculty member in International Development and Social Change in IDCE.
Through these Difficult Dialogues programs the Clark and Worcester community have the opportunity to appreciate, learn and practice the skills of dialogue–the practice of conscious exchange in which different views and beliefs can be shared toward the goal of greater mutual understanding.
Tukey currently telecommutes as a systems analyst for a hospital in San Francisco.
He moved to Worcester this summer with his wife, Liza Grandia, a faculty member in International Development and Social Change in IDCE.
This event is co-sponsored by the Higgins School of Humanities and the International Development, Community and Environment (IDCE) Department at Clark. For more information about this event, call 508-793-7479.
Clark is one of 27 institutions of higher education selected out of 675 nationwide for a $100,000 Ford Foundation grant to facilitate a two-year program of trainings and events to encourage discourse across differences. This focus on dialogue is aimed at addressing a climate of separation and silence around difference that is too often seen, not only on campuses across the nation but in our society as a whole.
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