124749368

I use the palette knife to express my frustration with the world around me, to strike at those who have silenced me, to enlighten those who misunderstand me.This installation examines endemic poverty, racism, classism, xenophobia, disease, and attitudes in the Dominican Republic. A recent controversy over the effects of the mosquito-borne illnesses, dengue and malaria, on the tourism industry and the response of my people to this problem provides a framework to examine the aforementioned themes.We Dominicans choose to ignore and cover up our problems with an aesthetically pleasing exterior, projecting a certain image to the world. When problems do arise, it is our tendency to shift blame on others, most recently illegal Haitian immigrants. We do not like to admit that we are an impoverished nation descended partially from Africa ourselves. The assertion that dengue and malaria only affects Haitians parallels a larger Western belief that these diseases only occur and affect poverty-stricken Africans. The elites minimalize the health risks of visiting the Dominican Republic in an effort to reduce bad publicity about the country to protect the tourism industry.The use of red serves as a warning that we Dominicans must change our attitudes and solve our problems. In order to reach solutions, we must accept who we are.This piece is not meant to discourage people from visiting the island, but to understand the cultural forces that impede progress and to encourage visitors to take precautions.