(photo by ELVIRA LARA)
The international art muralist, “El Can,” center, with Mexican Consuls Francisco Jacobi, left, and Sergio Salinas, right.
By ELVIRA LARA
PRESIDIO – Take one last look at the city’s water tank because pretty soon it’s going to look very different. International artist Miles MacGregor “El Mac” has started work on the water tank mural that was commissioned by the Mexican Consulate back in December. The mural is a gift from Mexico to depict the relationship between border communities.
City council members met with the artist last Friday to choose between two images for the mural. Also in attendance at the special meeting were head consul Sergio Salinas and deputy consul Francisco Jacobi, whom first presented the project to the council.
Consul Salinas stated that Presidio was chosen from 50 other consulates as the location for the mural. According to Jacobi, the project’s purpose is to strengthen the relationship on both sides by illustrating immigrant populations.
El Mac is known for his portraits of commonplace people representative of Mexican and Chicano cultures. He has painted murals of “campesinos”, ranchers, laborers, individuals he meets on the street – characters he refers to as “normal, everyday, working people.”
For the water tank mural, he came up with two designs for the council to choose from. He said he normally doesn’t show his mockups to people, but council members requested to see samples before approving the painting.
The portraits El Mac showed were of two women. He spent the last week talking to people in town and asking them whom they thought was a “good person” and whom they felt represents Presidio. He used those descriptions and his own observations of the community to inspire his designs.
He chose to paint a female to counterbalance what he referred to as harsh conditions. “It’s desert, it’s dry, it’s kind of a rough environment,” he said to the council. “I felt like something feminine, something maternal seemed more appropriate. An image that can hopefully convey a sense of optimism, hope.”
The women El Mac proposed painting are no one in particular. He explained that he paints his portraits in a way that anyone can relate to and feel a connection to the image.
“I work from the photographs that I take as a reference for what I paint. But the way that I paint, there’s a certain kind of stylization that happens where it’s not an exact copy of the photo, it’s painted in a way where – it becomes like a composite image so it really should look like a lot of people,” explained the artist.
Council members selected one of the images last Friday and granted El Mac permission to start working on the mural. The artist asked for discretion when disclosing details about the image, saying he wants it to be revealed over time as he paints it.
What can be said is that Mayor Pro Tem Alcee Tavarez thought the chosen image was very representative of Presidio. He used the words “perseverance” and “established” to describe it. Councilwoman Isela Nuñez echoed Tavarez’s sentiments.
On the other hand, councilman Samuel Carrasco was concerned that painting a person would leave people wondering who it is and create confusion. Councilman Antonio Manriquez said that could actually be a good thing, saying visitors would “go back home wondering and talking about it.”
What’s certain is that the mural will stand out and be visible from miles before entering Presidio. The water tank can be seen as you drive into Ojinaga, Mexico from Chihuahua city, when you drive into town on Highway 67 and from practically every vantage point in the city.
For years the water tank has been plain white with the word Presidio painted vertically in black letters. El Mac’s mural will offer a dramatic transformation, one welcomed by the burgeoning art scene.
Having an international artist come to Presidio is a big deal for the small community. El Mac has painted murals all over the world, from Europe to Asia. He told The International that Presidio is probably the smallest place he’s ever painted in.
Art teacher Laurie Holman is excited about the mural and is making plans to take her students to see the artist working. Holman is the founder of Presidio’s annual arts festival, a growing event that showcases the work of local artists.
El Mac is expected to start painting any day now. He estimates it will take him about three weeks to complete the mural, conditions permitting. He described painting murals as an “extreme sport” requiring a lot of time, energy and focus.
El Mac will be doing all the painting himself, with helpers only to get him food and others items. To get an idea of what the mural will look like, samples of his work can be seen on his website, www.elmac.net.
