Written during the onset of the pandemic:
Being isolated for the past four months without any sunshine or safe access to being outdoors has been emotionally difficult. Trying to maintain connection through social media, video chats and texting lack the depth of human connection I really desire.
Art making is a medicine that has helped me find peace and purpose. So I set out to find a way to screenprint again without the tools and equipment that we normally have at our disposal. This is the first mutli-layered print produced using crafting tools and vinyl stickers make stenciled screens.
Since I have been at home I have noticed most people in my community who have gone out into the world and in particular who have shown up to protest have been diligent about wearing some form of mask/face covering.
So many folks express how important it is that they make a concerted effort to mask up as a way to take care of others. The reciprocity of care and connection remind of me of "In Lak’Ech [the] timeless Mayan precept" that Luis Valdez "incorporated into a larger poem called “Pensamiento Serpentino.”
IN LAK’ECH
Tú eres mi otro yo. | You are my other me.
Si te hago daño a ti, | If I do harm to you,
Me hago daño a mi mismo. | I do harm to myself.
Si te amo y respeto, | If I love and respect you,
Me amo y respeto yo. | I love and respect myself.
