Art is the Solution

Para Don Pedro Source: Smithsonian American Art Museum When studying modern Puerto Rican art, you may notice that one figure crops up again and again: Pedro Albizu Campos. Albizu Campos—who was a well-known political leader in the Puerto Rican nationalist movement in the 1950s and 60s—is an important subject in Puerto Rican art. As a proponent of independence, he has become synonymous with the preservation of Puerto Rican culture, strength, leadership, and national pride. Nuyorican artist Juan Sánchez explores this idea in his collage Para Don Pedro . The collage centers on a photograph of Albizu Campos, which in turn is surrounded by smaller images of Christ with his arms outstretched in blessing. Albizu Campos was imprisoned for his political activities, and evidence later emerged that he had been subjected to human radiation experiments while in prison, which probably played a major role in his death shortly after his release. This series of events led many people to view him ...