WRITING PROMPT — STREET ART

Street Art In Latin America

A travel story

This photographic piece is written in response to the recent writing prompt (challenge) put forth in Globetrotters by Anne Bonfert.

I know many examples of the most common street art (graffiti) can be seen throughout Latin America, and we came across a lot of it on our long exceptional journey.

But there also exist many living examples of street art displayed by people — literally and decoratively, often beautifully but also oddly.

Street Art, when considered generously, is also the most ancient art form in existence. Consider that humans have been creating such for millennia, most famously in ancient caves. Like this handprint in the Loltun caves located on the Ruta Puuc in Yucatán, Mexico.

Perhaps more typical, though not graffiti, is artwork proudly portrayed on murals in honored locations. Many explorations of our newly adopted hometown Mérida rewarded us with lovely examples of such art.

Sometimes, street art can be so basic as to seem amateurish, but it can also be so amazingly appropriate to the locale that one cannot imagine its absence. Like some creature portraits found on the walls of Isla Mujeres (Island of Women) off the coast of Cancún, Mexico.

But I mentioned people, specifically. One doesn’t automatically think of it until “people art” is encountered up close and personal, which happened surprisingly often on our travels. Sometimes in a spirit of great humor and entertainment, other times as simply a beautiful expression of indigenous craftwork. And yes, that is a real person I’m standing next to in the fourth photo below.

And then, some street art is just situational — something you come across by wandering around and looking at whatever surrounds you. I’m not sure you can really categorize this.

In the end, of course, we really associate street art most with that displayed liberally on the walls of almost every city in the world. Like in the corner entrance to our tiny rundown hostel in Valparaiso, and on a wall that could be located anywhere in the world.