[NYTr] Drawing Support for Cuba: The Story of a Mural
ny...@olm.blythe-systems.com
sent by Simon McGuinness (dublin)
Cuba Support Group Cuba - Feb 2007
http://www.cubasupport.com/mural.htm
Drawing Support for Cuba The Story of a Mural
Background:
The 2006 European Meeting of Cuba Solidarity Organisations held in
Istanbul, was dominated by one issue and repeatedly profiled by the high
level Cuban delegation in attendance - the need to challenge United
States plans for regime change in Cuba. These plans have been outlined
by the US governments Commission for Assistance to a Free Cuba, which
was established in 2004 and reports directly to the President. Better
known as Plan Bush and headed up by Condoleezza Rice, the Commissions
mission, contained in a July 2006 report is to hasten and ease a
democratic transition in Cuba.
The US administration has earmarked $80 million to finance the strategic
objectives of Plan Bush which include supporting opposition groups in
Cuba and appointing a US Proconsul in Cuba, similar to the Paul Bremmer
post in Iraq, to oversee the transition. The plan foresees the
introduction of free market reforms in Cuba and the establishment of a
transitional government. In short, the plan aims to eradicate the
social and economic achievements of the Cuban revolution, sweep away the
revolutionary government, and consign the people once more to US control
and exploitation.
Far from creating an international furore or screams of diplomatic
outrage, Plan Bush has largely been greeted by nodding approvement from
Western governments with plans already afoot to introduce a similar
measure in the EU. Rather than indulge itself in much needed
self-reflection and moral rectitude following its disastrous enterprises
in Iraq and Afghanistan, the US feels completely as ease in unilaterally
designing and disseminating a blueprint for regime change in a
sovereign, independent state.
The Plan:
The challenge for Cuba Support Group in Belfast was finding a way to
initiate public debate on Plan Bush in an accessible format that
generated awareness of US intentions for Cuba. We opted for a highly
visible approach based on the north of Irelands longstanding tradition
of painting murals to promote issues of civic, social, economic and
political concern. Although political murals in Republican and Loyalist
areas have attracted greater media attention as reflecting the
sentiments of communities at key stages of the conflict in the north,
murals have always had a larger social objective.
As part of an increasingly popular tourist trail in Belfast, Derry and
elsewhere, murals also address a range of cultural and historical issues
like the Irish language, An Gorta Mor (the Great Hunger), Irish
mythology, dance and music, sport (from George Best to Gaelic football
and hurling) and literature. Important social issues have also been
profiled like unemployment, health, urban regeneration and education
while differences found in murals on the Shankill and the Falls Roads
can be used to test the political temperature in those areas and the
state of mind of the communities regarding the peace process and other
key issues.
A traditional aspect of murals in Republican and Nationalist areas has
been their international dimension as they related their own political
struggle with those of other peoples around the world including the
anti-apartheid movement in South Africa, the Palestinians, the
Sandinistas in Nicaragua, the Zapatistas in Mexico, and the revolution
in Cuba which was regularly cited as an inspiration in the writings of
political activists in the north.
The Artist as a Political Activist:
The global dimension of mural painting grew to the point where an
extended international wall was created on the Falls Road, one of the
main arterial routes into Belfasts city centre. Cuba Support Group
commissioned its mural on Plan Bush as one of the highly visible,
colourful, provocative and attractive murals on the international wall.
The commission was given to Danny Devenny, an internationally renowned
muralist who describes himself as a political activist rather than an
artist and regards his work as an important contribution to political
awareness and activism on issues. Danny has worked on plays and films
and his murals have been syndicated to millions around the world. Danny
has become synonymous with mural painting in the north and has painted
most of the murals to be seen in nationalist areas that suffered the
effects of conflict. The mural is ideally located and difficult to miss
for any commuter travelling into Belfasts city centre.
The Mural:
The main challenge in designing the mural was conveying in pictorial
form the threat posed to Cuba by Plan Bush. We needed to mix familiar
images of Cuba like the iconic Chi with the omnipresent threat from its
northern neighbour. We opted for a familiar Uncle Sam with the face of
George Bush crouching in a threatening pose over the island of Cuba with
blood drenched hands. The people of Cuba are represented in defiant
pose flanked by classic revolutionary portraits of Chi and Fidel. While
we were aware that Fidel has never propagated his image in Cuba or
consciously made himself the face of the revolution, Cuba Support Group
felt it important to acknowledge his leadership of the revolutionary
process and inspirational defiance of US imperialism. The lettering is
simple: USA: Hands Off Cuba followed by Stop Plan Bush and ending
with Stop the crazy son of a Bush! Murals often use humour as a means
of fixing an image or message in the public mind.
The mural has generous dimensions - 13 feet high and 20 feet wide and
a digital image of the mural has been widely circulated both locally and
internationally, including to our friends and partners in Cuba.
Murals have long provided a fascinating insight into Irish society and
politics and the conflict in the north. Many of these murals have been
captured and brilliantly analysed both Nationalist and Unionist,
Republican and Loyalist by Professor Bill Rolston in his three
editions of Drawing Support spanning the period 1992 2003 (visit:
http://www.btpale.com). They include hundreds of images that trace the
story of the conflict and the international influences on political
activism in Ireland.
The new mural will contribute to a fine tradition of activism through
art and will hopefully play an effective role in drawing support for
Cuba and encouraging local resistance to Plan Bush.
*
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