Title of Work: La Semilla Después del Fuego
Date: 2023
Medium: Hand-woven tapestries, utility carts, oak galls, P.A. amplifier, USB flash drive, horn speakers, speaker wire, extension cords, spray paint cans, cones of yarn, frankincense resin, charcoal, ash, glass jars with lids, lighter, metal tongs, cast iron cauldron, wood, spray paint, masking tape, nuts, bolts, washers, screws, work lights, and a 30 minute audio collage.
Dimensions: Approximately 72" x 180" x 52"
This installation considers the 1979 Nicaraguan revolution led by the Frente Sandinista de Liberación Nacional overthrowing the U.S. backed Somoza dictatorship and looks 150 years into the past to the beginnings of American imperialist interventions in Nicaragua. In 1821, Nicaragua gained its independence from Spain. For the United States, emboldened by the Monroe Doctrine of 1823, which declared the eradication of European colonization and interference in the Americas, and the emergence in the 1840s of Manifest Destiny, the belief that it was their God given right to spread their superior culture across the continent, Nicaragua was of interest since it provided a land-and-water passage from the Atlantic to the Pacific to those drawn to California in search of gold, the possibility to build a transoceanic water canal, and the prospect to seize its territory to create an ally slave state. In 1855, William Walker invaded Nicaragua and by 1856 had declared himself president, legalized slavery, and designated English the official language. He was ousted and executed in 1860.
In the 1900s under Theodore Roosevelt, U.S. foreign policy was driven once again with a disposition of superiority believing they needed to be the civilizers and policemen of foreign countries. In 1912, President Taft enacted “dollar diplomacy” by sending U.S. Marine troops to Nicaragua to temper insurrections and secure geopolitical benefits for American businesses and the U.S. federal government. In 1925, after the creation of the Nicaraguan National Guard, the U.S. Marines were finally removed but quickly brought back in 1926 to aid, once again, with political uprisings. From this milieu emerged Augusto César Sandino, a guerrilla leader who mounted a resistance campaign against U.S. intervention and Marine occupation. His crusade went on for 6 years with U.S. troops finally exiting in 1933. In 1934, Sandino met with President Sacasa to make concessions and restructure power between the presidency, Sandino’s troops, and the National Guard. As Sandino left the meeting, he was taken into custody and assassinated by the National Guard, under orders of its U.S. appointed leader Anastasio Somoza Garcia. In 1936, Somoza commanded a coup d’état and became the dictator of Nicaragua. This led to a forty-six year corrupt, repressive, and torturous regime with Somoza eventually being succeeded by his two sons. The United States, for its part, was practicing its “good neighbor” policy enacted by President Roosevelt and subsequently, during the Cold War, the Somoza brothers received economic and military support to suppress the spread of communism in Latin America. The Somoza dynasty remained in power until 1979 when it was overthrown by the Frente Sandinista de Liberación Nacional, named after Sandino. The F.S.L.N sought to end foreign interference and to implement democratic liberties, land redistribution, a national literacy campaign, and equality for women.
This work features a 30 minute audio collage consisting of abstract and recognizable sounds. It includes the sound of a helicopter flying overhead, footsteps, and an excerpt from Werner Herzog's documentary Ballad of the Soldier Boy where a group of indigenous Miskito children from Nicaragua, whose land rights were being violently contested by the F.S.L.N., sing a Catholic song. The installation includes a small cast iron cauldron, charcoal, metal tongs, and a lighter for the burning of frankincense resin. Frankincense has been used to treat a variety of ailments since it is believed to have medicinal properties. It is also burned in thuribles during Catholic religious ceremonies.
Date: 2023
Medium: Hand-woven tapestries, utility carts, oak galls, P.A. amplifier, USB flash drive, horn speakers, speaker wire, extension cords, spray paint cans, cones of yarn, frankincense resin, charcoal, ash, glass jars with lids, lighter, metal tongs, cast iron cauldron, wood, spray paint, masking tape, nuts, bolts, washers, screws, work lights, and a 30 minute audio collage.
Dimensions: Approximately 72" x 180" x 52"
This installation considers the 1979 Nicaraguan revolution led by the Frente Sandinista de Liberación Nacional overthrowing the U.S. backed Somoza dictatorship and looks 150 years into the past to the beginnings of American imperialist interventions in Nicaragua. In 1821, Nicaragua gained its independence from Spain. For the United States, emboldened by the Monroe Doctrine of 1823, which declared the eradication of European colonization and interference in the Americas, and the emergence in the 1840s of Manifest Destiny, the belief that it was their God given right to spread their superior culture across the continent, Nicaragua was of interest since it provided a land-and-water passage from the Atlantic to the Pacific to those drawn to California in search of gold, the possibility to build a transoceanic water canal, and the prospect to seize its territory to create an ally slave state. In 1855, William Walker invaded Nicaragua and by 1856 had declared himself president, legalized slavery, and designated English the official language. He was ousted and executed in 1860.
In the 1900s under Theodore Roosevelt, U.S. foreign policy was driven once again with a disposition of superiority believing they needed to be the civilizers and policemen of foreign countries. In 1912, President Taft enacted “dollar diplomacy” by sending U.S. Marine troops to Nicaragua to temper insurrections and secure geopolitical benefits for American businesses and the U.S. federal government. In 1925, after the creation of the Nicaraguan National Guard, the U.S. Marines were finally removed but quickly brought back in 1926 to aid, once again, with political uprisings. From this milieu emerged Augusto César Sandino, a guerrilla leader who mounted a resistance campaign against U.S. intervention and Marine occupation. His crusade went on for 6 years with U.S. troops finally exiting in 1933. In 1934, Sandino met with President Sacasa to make concessions and restructure power between the presidency, Sandino’s troops, and the National Guard. As Sandino left the meeting, he was taken into custody and assassinated by the National Guard, under orders of its U.S. appointed leader Anastasio Somoza Garcia. In 1936, Somoza commanded a coup d’état and became the dictator of Nicaragua. This led to a forty-six year corrupt, repressive, and torturous regime with Somoza eventually being succeeded by his two sons. The United States, for its part, was practicing its “good neighbor” policy enacted by President Roosevelt and subsequently, during the Cold War, the Somoza brothers received economic and military support to suppress the spread of communism in Latin America. The Somoza dynasty remained in power until 1979 when it was overthrown by the Frente Sandinista de Liberación Nacional, named after Sandino. The F.S.L.N sought to end foreign interference and to implement democratic liberties, land redistribution, a national literacy campaign, and equality for women.
This work features a 30 minute audio collage consisting of abstract and recognizable sounds. It includes the sound of a helicopter flying overhead, footsteps, and an excerpt from Werner Herzog's documentary Ballad of the Soldier Boy where a group of indigenous Miskito children from Nicaragua, whose land rights were being violently contested by the F.S.L.N., sing a Catholic song. The installation includes a small cast iron cauldron, charcoal, metal tongs, and a lighter for the burning of frankincense resin. Frankincense has been used to treat a variety of ailments since it is believed to have medicinal properties. It is also burned in thuribles during Catholic religious ceremonies.
