Native Girl

On Saturday, I had driven by this in a bus and decided that I had to come back Sunday morning and photograph this mural. It’s beautiful and it symbolizes such hope and positivity. I knew I was in a bit of a dangerous area. It’s the kind of spot that you have to find out where the police are, and you have to keep looking around you for people that will creep up on you. I know it’s risky to brandish my camera, but I’m as careful as I can be and part of me gets really defensive if all of Bogotá simply accepts it as a fact that if you are using something that you worked really hard for to get, that someone is going to feel like it’s their right to take it from you. So, like I said, first, I find the police. Secondly, I put a whistle in my mouth, and thirdly, I take a picture and then do a 360 turn to make sure someone hasn’t crept up on me. When I was at this mural, I did catch a homeless man coming up behind me holding up something that resembled an umbrella poised for an attack, but as I saw him, I yelled at him and he turned around and walked away. This mural is on Carrera 10. If you want to check it out, take a friend to make you feel safer. It’s generally safe and there is a police presence.

No More Violence Against Women!

Unfortunately, domestic abuse is still prevalent in Colombian culture. Any time we see art like this, we need to praise it, acknowledge it, and adhere to it.

“Esta lote no esta en venta” means “This item is not for sale.”

This is incredible to see: art expressing freedom of sexual expression, stopping violence against women, encouraging Colombians to speak out against trade agreements that negatively affect them as a people…awesome. This portion of the mural also speaks out against child abuse and proclaims that education is a duty, it’s not a negotiation.

 7OCT12. Carrera 10, Bogotá, Colombia.