By many measures Valley native Ernesto Yerena exemplifies the new breed of activist Chicano artist.
His prolific poster art has found wide acceptance and usage in many of today’s social justice campaigns. Locally, his art has adorned the posters and T-shirts of supporters of the late Edmund “Bubba” Gutierrez, who died after a run-in with Imperial police officers in 2010.
Elsewhere, Yerena’s artwork appeared at many of the rallies in opposition to Arizona’s anti-immigration law, SB 1070.
The message he tries to convey with his art “depends on the audience or the battle,” said Yerena, who resides in Arizona.
Growing up in the Valley, Yerena said he was both intrigued by the lack of public art and fascinated by the few works he did see. The area’s close proximity to the border, and the sense of separation that the border fence imposes on the imagination, are subjects ripe for artistic interpretation, Yerena said.
And while he said he has been able to make a living creating such highly vocal art, his few past attempts to install art in public spaces in the Valley fell short.
“I wanted to do (murals) but didn’t get walls or funds,” Yerena said, noting that such works also can serve to educate the public about important issues.
When Etelberto Ortiz moved to the Valley from Mexicali more than a month ago, the shortage of public art struck him. Yet in the short time the popular “urban artist” has been here, he has learned of the difficulties involved with getting such projects off the ground.
Local artist friends of Ortiz seemed to be at a loss when he asked them about the processes involved in installing art in public spaces, he said.
“No one does it, so they didn’t know how to even start,” he said in Spanish, adding that their conversation then devolved into permits, police and funding problems.
In Mexicali, “80 percent” of the time a property owner will agree to have art adorn their premises, while in the Valley the opposite seems to be taking place, with the majority of property owners turning down an artist’s request, Ortiz, who also is known as Star27, said.
While much of the 29-year-old’s public art is abstract in nature, Ortiz said it still serves a social function and allows people the opportunity to make their own subjective interpretations. Used to a busy schedule where he would produce sometimes up to six murals in a month in Mexicali, he now finds his output reduced to a couple of canvas paintings a month.
The conditions in the Valley for modern muralists tend to make them want to relocate to more supportive environments, said Ortiz, who is in the process of becoming a naturalized citizen.
The reasoning behind such an exodus is simple.
“Artists want to reach the most people they can with their mode of expression,” Ortiz said.
Staff Writer, Copy Editor Julio Morales can be reached at 760-335-4665 or at jmorales@ivpressonline.com.
To comment on this story click here to be directed to Facebook.
