Gerardo

we will never look at a fruit crate again in the same way! and THAT, my friends, is what ART is all about (in our humble opinion).

I just want to say what I thought about the fruit crates. I first saw them while coming down the street one day, too hot, desperate for a fan and cold drink. I thought, “I wonder what show is coming here soon,” thinking of a concert or a band and this being their backdrop. Kinda wacky, but that’s what came to mind.

Later, I had the chance to actually look at the stack of fruit crates, rather than zooming by in a half-heat stroke swoon. It may be just a stack of fruit crates, but it literally brought tears to my eyes.

Think of all the poor who have close to nothing to call their own, yet the simple crate allows them to carry their produce to market.

Think of all the migrant workers who have harvested US food for a couple hundred years, poorly paid, dusted in pesticides and herbicides, doing back-breaking work in the hot sun from dawn to dusk.

Think of all the mercados across Mexico with their various local fruits and vegetables, the chaotic and cheerful banter between stalls and between stall owners and customers. Mothers with children propped up behind the stack of melons. And the fruit crates being the unifying element in the colorful, noisy kaleidesocpe of activity.

Think of all the people for which the lowly fruit crate has meant the chance for opportunity, not always for themselves but for their children. Toting goods to market, being filled by the tens of thousands in long rows of corporate vegetable fields like those of Yuma Valley, simply holding a household’s valuables while traveling….

The fruit crate is a deep intrinsic part of so many people’s lives. Even our own, though we may be oblivious to its importance.

What a beautiful display. To me, the colors, the high stacked cube of crates, the side of the road location with cars whizzing by… For me, it is a magical display of those dry topics of history, sociology, demography. They are a real part of the lives of real people.

Commemorating those lowly fruit crates pays tribute to those who feed us, each and every day. And reminds us that food isn’t just simply ‘found’ in a supermarket, but delivered through the hard work and loving kindness of millions of simple laborers. For that, I give thanks.

The pure visual and sometimes tongue in check humor of some of the pieces on the Paseo de Monteo. The impact, when you juxtapose things that appear to be oppositional, was fabulous. Merida is just that much more appealing to me because of it…..

What was so powerful to me about this exhibit was the sweet/salty relationship between the backdrop of the magnificant old colonial mansions and the forground of contemporary artistic interpretations of issues that face Yucatecans (and the rest of the world). The old and the new sharing space.

I am not surprised that there are many who grapple with the difficulting of how to move forward while still honoring the past. I remember watching the Ed Sullivan show with my family when the Beetles were on for the first time. (ok so that really dates me) My father was appalled – now he would admit that they were harmless compared to todays “Rock bands”. Isn’t it all relative? It is an age old issue in the art world that confronts many non-traditional exhibits. The associated costs almost always turning into a blame game.

There is a lot of art in the world that I don’t like, personally, BUT – I respect the artist’s and their admirers’ right to their opinion, they like it. So, why can’t all parties in this situation at least agree to the right to disagree with each others opinion.

I rarely look at art with the notion that I need to “know the intention of the artist”, for me that isn’t important. I don’t ask “what is this supposed to be or what was the artist intent?” I just allow myself to see without intellectualizing what I saw.

Sometimes I love it, other times – not so much!

So, in summary, I loved the exhibit…..maybe I’ll hate the next one. You can’t please everyone all the time. Politicians are not art critics and vice versa. Be careful about placing blame. You just might lose some of your best people.

Thank you,
PS. Creativity – is an intentional accident