Cuban Street Art And The Impact Of Yulier Rodriguez
Despite the depth of content and many interesting stories about Cuban music and dance in this module, I was drawn the most to the works of Cuban street artists. In particular I found the story of Yulier Rodriguez to be the most interesting.
Yulier Rodriguez is a street artist in Cuba who has completed multiple different projects on dilapidated buildings throughout Cuba, as well as using debris as his canvas for his work. As I mentioned in my last discussion, art is commonly used as a vehicle for self expression and commentary on societal and cultural issues in a country. In Rodriguez’s case, it is no different. In one of the videos about Rodriguez, he puts forth the argument that his work on the many debris piles in Havana is symbolic, because the trash and debris represents the decay of Cuban society which forces many to seek dishonest ways of life to earn a living. When creating illustrations on buildings or debris, Rodriguez says he questions and creates dialogue with Cuban society by returning the decorated debris back to the place it was found.
What I found the most interesting was the belief Rodriguez had about his work. Specifically the fact that the figures in his work depict “violence, fear, sadness and misery”, which are daily aspects of many Cubans' lives. This commentary is eye opening, as it provides a stark and realistic glimpse into the struggles of Cubans, amidst a flagging economy and a government that seems to be failing its people. Interesting to me was how ROdriguez mentions this commentary will not be found in the art of “legitimized Cuban artists”. To me this hints at the influence of the state on these “legitimized” artists, who may be directed to not make commentaries on the state of life in Cuba by government sponsors. This can't be proven, but is an assumption I am making based on Rodriguez’s claims that others will not create art like his.
If anything, I think Rodriguez's work, and its subsequent commentary on real life in Cuba, indicates how vital street art is. Unregulated and totally independent street art like Yulier Rodirguez’s provides a glimpse into regular contemporary life in Cuba that the government might otherwise restrict. However, because the art can be interpreted in various ways, it cannot be shut down by the government as easily as a direct protest. Therefore proving invaluable as a source of communication for regular Cubans like Rodriguez to outside audiences, in order to garner recognition and understanding of the ongoing situation in Cuba.
Do you think street art like Rodriguez’s plays a part in pushing for social change? Or is it generally ineffective against the wills of the government?
What do you think is the likelihood of Rodriguez continuing his works without government intervention? If you were the Cuban government, would you want him to make commentaries and criticisms like he has?
I like that you included the commentary from the video that we watched this week about Yulier Rodriguez. I think its good to make art ambiguous however I think the government would shut something down if it threatened them. I think Rodriguez's art does play a role in pushing for social change. It opens up new kinds of art and expressionism that I believe benefits their movement. I think Yulier will continue his work, and as the materials mentioned, the government or others may try to take his art down. I also think, in my opinion, that he'd continue his work even if the government tells him to stop.
ReplyDeleteI remember in the video on Rodriguez they mention that he was briefly jailed (? I think) and that the government asked him to remove his art from walls, but that they never followed through. I don't suppose that he has any intention of halting his work - the man seemed to feel he's doing something very important (which I'd agree with). Granted, I don't feel that the government will bother to put much time or effort into stopping Yulier's art. While he is probably classified as a dissident, they have already given him a warning and have not followed through on making sure he "cleans up" his artwork - meaning they probably have other more pressing matters. What Rodriguez's work does is contribute to a negative public view of a government that is already subject to an overall negative view in the public eye. While the Cuban people seem to love the ideals encapsulated by Castro, they also seem very tired of having few resources and fewer freedoms.
ReplyDeleteConsidering the likelihood of government intervention, it prompts further reflection on the delicate balance between artistic freedom and state control. If you were the Cuban government, would you view Rodriguez's commentaries as a form of constructive critique or as a threat to stability? His art may have been viewed negatively but I am assuming the government won't bother with disciplinary action or putting a stop to his art production.
ReplyDeleteI think that Rodriguez will be able to continue his work without government intervention. I think this for the same reason why the government won't censor him and will allow him to keep going. realistically as a government, you don't want to censor every single little thing because then people are likely to get more angry at total censorship. while he is promoting and talking about anti-government ideals, he is not a huge threat to the Cuban government and he also is an artist which means that he has a bit more influence. in other words, if they shut him down people will know about it and if they let him keep going then it might make them look better to the outside world because they are technically off paper letting people speak out against the government to a certain degree.
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