Lincoln Park murals: Pachuca

Lincoln Park murals: Pachuca
Originally uploaded by chacal la chaise.

A couple of weeks ago, there was a terrific car show and gathering beneath these I-10 flyovers at Lincoln Park. Sadly, I missed it, but yesterday I was able to capture a few quick shots of new Chican@ murals. Like Chicano Park in Los Angeles, the murals depict important people and events in Chicano history and feature visual topics pertaining to Aztlán, the Guadalupe, folk art/rascuache and social-political themes and history important to Latin@s as the Mexican Revolution, the murder of Latino journalist Ruben Salazar, President Kennedy, brown pride--topics pertaining to La Frontera's culture, art, and people.

In the Pachuca I see all the defiance, strength, and passion of a young woman--she wears a stripped down version of the zoot suit and carries a daggered sacred heart, while wrapped in the flags of her land, family, and culture. Strong, proud, brown, and armed with what signifies her strength. Ready to battle anything that comes her way or tries to harm her family and friends, this Pachuca stands tall.

New Tumblr website: ¡fuckyeahguadalupe!

Canutillo:: Laundry with Nachos and Guadalupe on the Side

For a while now, I've been experimenting (OK, using to a greater extent) the Tumblr web ap. My first site is here, with a new one here. The later is solely devoted to all things Guadalupe because it seems El Paso contains a large collection of urban art, etc., about whom Wikipedia explains is the Queen of Mexico, Empress of the Americas and Patroness of the Americas.

What I enjoy about posting to this new Tumblr is how I can publish new images about Guadalupe (and other topics) in a more timely manner than I've previously be able to do with Blogger. However, I don't see me abandoning this site anytime soon; this site should be about general El Paso images and the occasional (!) picture of our cats. But back to the Guadalupe.

I've located many instances of beautiful urban art that transcend the original meaning of rascuache--the common, the wretched, the poor--in El Chuco and elsewhere. This is all quite intriguing as she embodies so much about mestizo identity and the affect colonization has had on out indigenous psyches. Above all else, people seem to have an inordinate need to capture her, which in turn, makes others happy--all this wellspring of creativity brings out the best and most artistic in those who try to create her image.

While I have not forgotten this blog (as seen by the many spontaneous posted images from my camera phone), a lot of my online writing and research is now divided between three blog sites and my twitter account. And if that isn't the way to push out web content I don't know what is. Cheers!

Lincoln Park Murals :: Comandanta Ramona

Lincoln Park Murals :: Comandanta Ramona
Originally uploaded by chacal la chaise.

Sometimes you just have to get away, steal a moment of solitude with just your thoughts and your camera. I put off photography using excuses like I must 1) read, 2) summarize, 3) work, 4) read more, 5) summarize more, and finally 6) sleep. But today, I said enough was enough. Perhaps it was a post-election ebbing elation; maybe it was the idea that I could get rid of whatever this flu/allergy is that I had by getting outside for a few minutes. Whatever the reason to leave the confines of campus, I knew I must go to Lincoln Park. The park lies beneath I-10 east, and is quite close to Thomason Hospital (and future new children’s hospital), Evergreen, Concordia and B’nai Zion cemeteries, and Jefferson-Silva High Schools. )

Lincoln Park contains a beautiful collection of small murals, painted on the freeway concrete supporting uprights. Originally an art project for students from Bowie High School, they have stood for many years. While some murals have small tags identifying a gang’s territory, the murals generally stand unmarked, in their colourful glory. When I arrived around 4:00 pm, it was quiet and cool with a slight breeze, with a brilliant Morenci turquoise blue sky over my head.

Fortunately, as I left the park, I drove to the area where the last (and most political and social activist) murals were. There I saw this beautiful and bright mural of the late Comandanta Ramona of the Clandestine Indigenous Revolutionary Committee (CGRI) and the leadership body of the Zapatista Army of National Liberation (EZLN). Beautiful and petite, she sadly died of cancer after battling it for many years.

Unfortunately, I do not know who painted her image, but it is an inspiring and uplifting addition to the murals at this central El Paso Park that lies beneath the spaghetti bowl and I-10.

Reynolds exit: El Paso mural

El Paso mural
Originally uploaded by chacal la chaise.

While on the subject of subjects revisited, here is another that was originally photographed with one kind of camera, and later re-shot with another. In this case, this image was shot using a little Vivitar point-and-shoot digital.

Again, this is a mainstay of El Paso iconography; a mural most everyone sees everyday and has affection. Unfortunately, I don't know the name of the artist. If anyone knows, please let me know and I'll be sure to add that information. Located near the Interstate 10 East, Reynolds exit, the mural can be seen from the freeway. It is also near Lincoln park, which is known for its Chicano-themed murals, painted on concrete support uprights for various exit and entrance bridges to either I-10 or US-54 (Patriot Freeway).

Here is the first image take of this mural. It is possibly one of the first Holga pictures I shot. At the time, I think "the judge" aka "prepgirl, my daughter was driving while I shot the picture from the car.