cover of episode Border Art: The Godfather

Border Art: The Godfather

2019/11/20
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Port of Entry

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Shownotes Transcript

Today, we’re kicking off an ongoing series of episodes about border art. In this episode, we talk to a guy we're calling the godfather of border art. He's the guy who helped put border art on the map: Marcos Ramírez, a Tijuana artist most people know as “Erre.”

Border art is art at the actual border fence, art about the border, and often times, it’s both.

It feels weird to say that the U.S.-Mexico border wall inspires artists. Because mostly, it pisses them off.

Not to lump all artists into one sweeping stereotype, but a lot of the work being made about the border is pretty heavy in its opposition to the fence and all it stands for. It’s protest art. Or art that wants to start a conversation about power, immigration or human rights.