The Immigrant

I stumbled upon Joel Bergner’s “El Inmigrante” (23^rd Street at Shotwell) by accident, and was immediately struck by how much it resembled my family’s story. Even the accidental shadow that falls tragically between the man and the woman, emphasizing optimism and reluctance, seemed to speak to the question of leaving what you know for what you wish.

The children seemed stuck in some sort of disbelief, as had my sister and I, watching other children play, perhaps concerned about what they might actually find in the big US of A.

These and similar thoughts had been the furthest thing from my mind as I approached 23^rd Street from Shotwell… and as the mural became larger to my field of view, my family’s journey to our “new world” became a vivid memory. 

Even though we came together as a family, many Cuban families were separated. Some forever.

And yet it’s clear that Bergner’s mural isn’t about the big empire and the little country that could… but about what all immigrants face and what they leave behind… The hidden fear, as seen in the woods, beneath the window, is the same fear all immigrants face at one time or another.

In time we’d discover that many of the things that were once natural to us now seemed a little alien and distant (perhaps as reflected in the man’s closed eyes) even if and when we recalled them fondly.

For me, that boogeyman hiding in the woods is a reminder that for 600 years empires have always had their eyes on Cuba… for others it could be the Immigration Department, or just the unknown…

Bergner’s mural reveals a sense of urgency that many immigrants will recognize. Discovering the mural unexpectedly, as I did, forced me to review my history and wonder about what might have been...  What if we had stayed in Cuba? What if the embargo had ended when it should have, right after the fall of the Soviet Union?

I’m not sure these reflections would have emerged in a traditional art palace after paying the fee and stepping through the metal detectors… and wondering through room after room of priceless art in pricey art frames…

About two blocks away I was then struck with an image of Cuba’s José Martí (“The Struggle Continues” by Susan R. Greene – 23^rd at Mission) that suddenly made me review the island’s long and heroic history… with black and white fighting together for self determination and independence.

 

Graffiti con Carne

We are living in the Silver Age of San Francisco Street Art, and we can all celebrate the existence of public art that surprises us when we walk by it… art that is not kept in glass cages by armed guards… art that’s made by people who love what they do so much that they continue to do it even though the work itself may have a short life.

You don’t have to be wealthy to enjoy the beauty provided by street art in San Francisco. There’s no entrance fee and no protective glass. You just have to be willing to walk outside, lift your head and open your eyes…  

San Franciscans are lucky to exist at the time when Amanda Lynn and Lady Mags are making murals… when Zio Ziegler and Ian Ross have favored The City with their original imagery, when you can casually walk down the street and encounter works by Jet Martinez and Chor Boogie and MonaCaron and too many others to list here.

Then there’s the graffiti, which rarely rises to the level of creative commentary provided by our muralists, but still presents an illuminating mimicry of the level of discourse present in the presidential race.

This is also a time of great confusion; today’s graffiti vandal under arrest could be tomorrow’s hot new artist with a high-profile opening at the Museum of Modern Art (Barry McGee, Blek Le Rat, etc).

On a personal level, street art in San Francisco encompasses everything that is artistic and public; even if the term “art” is not generally associated with it and legal types disapprove. Graffiti art is still art. Even if it’s ugly and reviled… which is why graffitisf.com is not limited to any one artform and is equally focused on the legitimate spirit of art for the outdoors. The site emerged as a way to showcase artworks and locations that I had taken for granted for most of my time in The City… perhaps a “penance” for years of purposeful blindness in the presence of great beauty.

At graffitisf.com you’ll find murals, graffiti and all manner of modern street art that celebrates the rich street art tradition that can still be found in San Francisco.