Over the past few weeks, I have encountered so much art in El Salvador. Walls are covered in murals, music is blaring in the supermarkets and out the windows of buses, clowns and jugglers are weaving through the chaotic traffic, and singing and dancing happens at festivals and even in the neighborhood mall.
As I try to better understand artistic expression in El Salvador, I compare it to that I am already familiar with- artistic expression in the United States. When I look at a clown in traffic I have to wonder, what is the significance of this? I have seen other clowns around the city of San Salvador and heard that there is a tradition of circus acts as artistic expression. What are they expressing, or are they just trying to earn a buck? Thus far, the written resources are sparse, but there must be someone who knows... and I'll find them.
The roots of other forms of artistic expression are much more clear. At an indigenous celebration in the town of Nahuisalco, several young boys from the community of Santo Domingo performed a traditional dance with costumes, paint, and fire. The indigenous culture of El Salvador is kept alive and passed down through many celebrations, performances, and rituals, which are representative of a rich and beautiful culture.
Much like the indigenous culture, art in El Salvador also exemplifies and honors the country's heroes. Archbishop Oscar Romero worked for the people of El Salvador during the late 1970s, and helped people to understand (through liberation theology) that even the poor have rights. For this, he was assansinated while giving a homily in 1980. Now, murals, photographs, sculptures, and other paintings of Archbishop Romero can be found all over El Salvador. This painting, which says "If they kill me, I will be resurected in the Salvadorian People" is just one of many beautiful depictions of Archbishop Romero and his importance to the history of El Salvador.
Not all parts of Salvadorian history are remembered by beautiful murals or paintings. In many cases, the history is not beautiful, but instead horrific. Sometimes it is only photographs that can begin to depict to true horror during times such as the civil war (1980-1992). This photo is one of nearly 40,000 images from the Museum of the Image and the Word, which bring to life a painful epoch in history that still affects all parts of Salvadorian life.
In addition to a history of violence, the people of El Salvador have also been fighting the elements. Throughout history, earthquakes and hurricanes have ravaged through an already weak society. This painting by Bernabe Crespin, Of the Earthquake of the 10th of October expresses the terrors that an earthquake in El Salvador brings.
The modern culture of El Salvador is also represented in many instances with performance. After we participated in a march against violence against women, we saw an avant garde performance depicting the injustices that women face today. This group used music, dance, and intricate costumes to share a reality that women in El Salvador are experiencing every day.
Though most of the art that I have seen in El Salvador is extremely indicative of the culture and history, it is not fair for me to generalize that Salvadorian art is a representation of the country. This painting, by Roberto Galicia, seems to have little to do with the culture and history of El Salvador. The sunflowers are pretty, but I don't think they speak to Salvadorian culture specifically. In fact, Isn't the sunflower the Kansas state flower?
So what now? How can I hypothesize what Salvadorian art means to the people of this country? With more research, that's how! So far, I have discovered, that much of the very public art is extremely representative of Salvadorian culture and history. People express their fears from the past and hopes for the future. Unfortunately my scope of art is rather limited. Of course, national art museums will be chock full of historically representative paintings, but what about this little gallery where I found the sunflowers? There are probably tons more of these places scattered throughout the country, who just paint art for art's sake. I only have a short time left in El Salvador, but now I have a mission-- SEE MORE ART!
