The whole history lived by Salvadorans is a combination of shadows and light, hope and despair, death and life. Those who have often dominated the story and wanted to take over the “painter’s” brush have reinforced the disaster of the poor, trying to break their spirit. These “painters” have humiliated the poor, shaping their identity merely as servants, forcing them to live out a fate that-–as they have made them believe—has been determined in a divine, sacred realm. For many, that is all they have known. Their poverty and misery have been part of God's will, which they have had to accept. They also have had to comply with the arrogance and humiliation that comes from the powerful, because they too are products of a divine will. So no one can interfere with or change what the gods have decided. That is untouchable, sacred.
There are others who have “painted” out of a collective life in solidarity with the poor--history seen from the bottom. These have painted without permission. They were never given the brush to paint, but created their own, a subversive brush, one that exceeded the official work. They painted with other shapes and colors, giving importance to the faces of the people. Servants were portrayed with dignity and their future was painted in decency and justice.
Alex Orantes painted this piece (see image below) in November and December of 1989, and gave to the Central Baptist Church, where he was visiting when the six Jesuits and two women were murdered at the Jesuit University.
These daring underground painters destroyed theologies and made gods and lords collapse. They played down the voices of priests and pastors who tried to impose shadows in the lives of the poor, justifying their beliefs and preaching that violence and injustices all come from “above.” Thus, a new work and a new thought was being created. People decided to take charge of their own destiny even if their names were not well known. No longer seeing themselves only on the margins of the great work, THE POOR now see themselves with dignity; they want their own future, know their rights, are changing their old patterns of thought. Every day they are removing their chains; and now everyone wants his or her own brushes; they all want to paint in their own touches, their traits, creativity, their ideas.
What we hope for in the end is a collective work, a beautiful work, a new history for Salvadorans. We will remove colors like gold and silver, which painted crowns and royalty, oligarchs and military laurels. Instead, we will paint people, land, education, clear blue skies, beautiful sunrises, tiles, ceilings, new walls, good foundations for new homes. We want our landscapes to celebrate peace and justice in the everydayness of the simplest, of the poorest. How beautiful it is that this work, our large mural, our history, is being painted with the participation from all of us!
We acknowledge that there are strong critics, educated and cultured people, who know about good art and sponsor museums and artists. They are not satisfied, do not like the socialist touch, the solidarity touch, do not understand why we celebrate the fact that the servant, the ignorant, the tattered, the homeless, the barefoot, the social activist, the revolutionary are painting methods of dialogue, consensus, inclusion and broad participation. They do not understand, will not understand. They will conspire against this work; they want to destroy the mural; they will leave their marks of violence and their names will be marked as those who hate folk art and folk life. “The people” never existed according to them. If people existed, it was just them, their circle of bourgeois exploiters, who think that they coined the word "Salvadoran people" to refer to their own.
To all these and their strong bulls of Bashan, we will give the consolation of a place, only if they want to paint in the new style. But if all they want is to be masters of all the brushes and all decisions, they will lose the opportunity to be part of the work. And in the exhibition in the galleries of every district, neighborhood, village, marginal zone, in communities everywhere, where the poor have lived ignored, when the work is shown, history will judge these dominators for being headstrong, for their selfish hearts.
And this great painting will be signed by all the Marías, the Josés, the Carlos, the Romeros, and the Shaficks, who are part of the people. Those who participated will be immortal; their memories will be eternal. Those who were above, might want to buy and own the artist. But everyone knows-- it is in everyone’s mouth and conscience-- this new work and its artists are not for sale, nor is their fate or their determinations. Never again, God willing.
Alex Orantes
Santa Ana, El Salvador, January 6, 2010
Translated by Laura Miraz, edited by Ron Morgan
