TRYST Art Fair: Cathy Ellis for "CHIRLA"
Two weekends back, No New Heroes participated in TRYST Art Fair - a sprawling international collection of independent and artist run collectives hosted by Torrance Art Museum. An absolutely lovely time was had by all. NNH's mission to pair artists with Mutual Aid groups was very warmly received... As it turns out, the rest of the world is dealing with the same cataclysmic uncertainties that we are. And while this fact could've hung like a depressing cloud over the weekend's festivities, the crowd all seemed to perceive their glasses of wine as half full. Yes, things are tough everywhere. But at least we know were not alone in the struggle.
One of the primary inspirations for No New Hero's space at TRYST Art Fair was the Bougainvillea- The beautifully wild and voluminous plant that I see almost every time I'm out wandering in overlooked and underutilized spaces throughout LA.
I hoped Cathy could create a painting that would act as a sort of spiritual guide for our humble endeavors. I figured as a life-long Californian and colorist extraordinaire, she'd have her own relationship with it's splashy magenta. The way the shocking color moves though space; indiscriminately devouring chain link fence and shattering the otherwise drab green of the drought stricken landscape... It reminded me of her work. There is a theme that permeates much of Cathy's landscapes: Mother Nature isn't against us; but she is pretty pissed at what 12,000 years of male-bozo dominated society has done to the delicate balance of her design. Don't you think it's about time we got it together?
So I asked.
What I got in return was this beauty.
The piece hung on the exterior wall of our space. I wanted it to be the first thing visitors would see - A tangle of color bursting with energy. A reminder that we are not in charge; but we are responsible. A plant that Shahnaz Habib describes as having the grace: "to climb over walls, bridge social chasms, (and) bring its beauty to people who had done nothing to deserve it."
CHIRLA was founded in 1986 to advance the human and civil rights of immigrants and refugees. CHIRLA became a place for organizations and people who support human rights to work together for policies that advance justice and full inclusion for all immigrants.
CHIRLA’s first director was Father Luis Olivares, the pastor at Our Lady Queen of Angels Church. As a leading voice of the Sanctuary movement, Olivares used his church to protect refugees fleeing human rights abuses in Central America in the 1980s.
CHIRLA has since become one of the largest and most effective advocates for immigrant rights, organizing, educating and defending immigrants and refugees in the streets, in the courts, and in the halls of power.
At CHIRLA, civic-minded immigrant families work for a world where they are free to move, participate in democracy, and enjoy human rights. CHIRLA relies on the love and vision of our community to organize and build power among people, institutions, and organizations to change public opinion and craft progressive policies that promote human, civil and labor rights for everyone.
The above quote is from an article by Shahnaz Habib. It was circulated through our group email as we prepared for the show. She explores the Colonial roots of Bougainvillea's namesake, and its full of both personal narrative and plant nerdery. I highly recommend it. Colonizing Plants: How Bougainvillea Conquered the World
There is a thing that exists called C.L.A.W.S. - Cat Lovers Against White Supremacy. And it is awesome.
A call to action, commonly known by the initialism CTA, is a strategic marketing tool designed to spur an immediate response from an audience, guiding them toward a specific action.
NNH began with the (perhaps naive) hope that it could be of service to folks who needed it. I wasn't exactly sure who that meant- Was it the potential readership? The Mutual Aid groups that would be featured in each post? Or other creative types (equally fed up with the constant "me at the center" paradigm required by our Tech Overlords) looking for a place to get weird and do some good.
SO, if you're out there- whomever you may be- Let me know. Leave a comment. Click a link. Tell a friend. Pitch an idea. Do anything to feel less alone in the world.
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