That’s a quote by German writer, Bertolt Brecht, and it fits just right with SF’s Yerba Buena Center for the Art’s recent exhibition.
Jesus Barraza and Melanie Cervantes – Dignidad Rebelde, collectively – want to put that hammer into the hands of communities struggling under the weight of history.
Their posters are beautiful and powerful. They’re framed in museums, coveted by art collectors, carried by protestors and visually eulogize our friends and neighbors who are killed in their pursuit of happiness and denied their right to justice.
Most importantly their art is about hope. After all, protesters are many things but apathetic isn’t one. And the work Dignidad Rebelde creates tells the story of communities working to transform the conditions of division, displacement, and loss of culture.
The two graphic artists want to nurture collaboration within and among communities. By making art about people and their struggles, and then putting that art back into their community’s hands, Dignidad Rebelde gives them tools to be seen and to tell their story in a simple, beautiful way.
Grab some good friends, a little of whatever lightens your mood, and go see what’s good in the Bay. Dignidad Rebelde’s ‘Take This Hammer’ at the YBCA until Aug 14th, 2016.
