TOW #14: A Vale of Terror, Transcended by Laura Tillman

In today’s technologically connected world, stereotypes and misguided knowledge are everywhere, and can often influence our perceptions towards certain subjects. The US-Mexican border has become a victim of this phenomenon, and is looked upon by many in a negative manner. While gang violence surrounding drugs is definitely evident in the area around the border, it is largely misunderstood. The topic has therefore taken on many forms through both American and Mexican artists’ work. The pieces covering the border take on many mediums, including photography, sculpture, performance, and paintings. One artist, Rigoberto Alonso Gonzalez, depicts victims of gang violence in a style that mimics baroque painters’ work like that of Caravaggio.

While the pieces created by artists like Patricia Ruiz-Bayón and David Freeman use metaphors and irony, among other rhetorical devices, the author of this article, Laura Tillman, relies on sentence structure to strengthen her point. Notably is a sentence where she writes, “For Mexican artists in Matamoros and Reynosa, where the local news media has been largely silenced, their artwork, often urgent and somber, fills a void.” This sentence has its own paragraph, and therefore emphasizes its message more than the surrounding text.

Tillman, a freelance journalist who has written for The New York Times, The Nation, and The Wall Street Journal, seems, almost ironically, to be writing to those indifferent to border issues, immigration, and drug wars. By promoting political artists’ work, she seems to be trying to inspire interest and action, as many artists seek reform. As this article was published on both The New York Times website and in print, it has probably gained a lot of exposure, especially amongst people who might not be educated in issues surrounding the border. Because of this, Tillman’s purpose of inspiring support of reform through a showcase of political art was achieved.

Article: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/05/arts/design/artists-explore-immigration-border-issues-and-the-drug-war.html?pagewanted=2&ref=design

Pictured above is Gonzalez with one of his works entitled,
"On the 17th of February of 2009 in Reynosa, Tamaulipas, Mexico."